Doubling down on his previous criticism, former Vice President Mike Pence has pulled no punches when slamming President Donald Trump.
Specifically, Pence blasted the president’s decision to accept a $400 million jet from Qatar.
Watch the video down below.
The former VP based his remarks on what he called the Arab nation’s troubling ties to terrorist organizations.
He stated that the luxury Boeing 747 intended for presidential transport comes from a country with a well-documented history of funding Hamas and Al Qaeda, creating potential national security risks for the United States.
Pence did not mince words during his NBC “Meet the Press” interview, highlighting Qatar’s dangerous double-dealing.
“Qatar has a long history of playing both sides. They support Hamas. They supported Al Qaeda. Qatar has actually financed pro-Hamas protests on American campuses across the United States,” Pence declared.
He added that accepting the gift “is inconsistent with our security, with our intelligence needs. And my hope is the president reconsiders it.”
Despite housing an American military base, Qatar’s track record of supporting America’s enemies should disqualify them from providing the aircraft that carries the Commander-in-Chief.
The former vice president expressed concern about potential intelligence vulnerabilities that could compromise presidential security.
He noted “profound issues, the potential for intelligence gathering, the need to ensure the president of the United States is safe and secure as he travels around the world.”
President Trump has defended the arrangement, arguing it would save taxpayer money while acknowledging the aircraft would technically be given to the Department of Defense, not to him personally.
“Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done,” he stated.
“I think it’s just a bad idea, and my hope is the president will think better of it,” Pence expressed.
Constitutional concerns also surround this unprecedented gift. The U.S. Constitution explicitly prohibits public officials from accepting gifts from foreign governments.
The $400 million jet could potentially be the largest foreign gift in American history.
While the administration claims the plane would go to the Defense Department, critics argue the arrangement still raises serious ethical and legal questions about foreign influence.
The White House has indicated President Trump will accept the plane despite growing bipartisan opposition from lawmakers concerned about Qatar’s questionable alliances.
Converting the jet for presidential use would require years of additional work and could cost taxpayers another $1 billion for necessary security upgrades and modifications to meet Air Force One standards.
Pence offered an alternative to the controversial gift, suggesting Qatar could instead “take that $400 million and plow it into infrastructure on our military base.”
BREAKING: Mike Pence comes out firmly against President Trump accepting an airplane from Qatar.
"Qatar has a long history of playing both sides. They support Hamas. They supported al-Qaeda. My hope is the President reconsiders it."
(per @MeetThePress) pic.twitter.com/qZywOMIooB
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) May 18, 2025
