Constitution's Emoluments Clause and Qatar Gifting Trump $400M Luxury Jet
Ask students: Who offered a gift of a $400 million luxury jet to President Trump? What is the emoluments clause in the Constitution?
President Trump says the U.S. government is poised to accept an airplane from Qatar valued at nearly $400 million. He claims the 747 aircraft will replace the 40-year-old Air Force One. But the announcement has raised ethical and national security concerns. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Kathleen Clark, a government ethics expert and professor at Washington University School of Law.
Discussion Questions
- Where is Qatar?
- Who offered a gift of a $400 million luxury jet to President Trump?
- What is the emoluments clause in the Constitution?
- How could Congress play a role that would make such a gift acceptable?
- Why did Kathleen Clark say she used the word "payoff" to describe the luxury jet?
Focus Questions
- Do you think accepting the offer of the jet from Qatar is a conflict of interest or an act of corruption? Why or why not?
- What are the national security concerns involved in accepting a gift from a foreign nation?
- Media literacy: What additional questions do you have about this story?
Extension Activity
Read the emoluments clause in the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 9, Paragraph 8):
"No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State."
To learn more about legal and ethical issues concerning the luxury jet, read:
- Britannica's What Is the Emoluments Clause?
- Reuter's Is Qatar's gift of a plane to President Trump allowed under US law?
Learn more about Trump's visit to the Middle East in which he announced the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria, arms sales and U.S.-Saudi business agreements. Watch: Mideast experts weigh in on Trump’s economic and defense deals in the region
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Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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