Trump Lashes Out When Asked About Chuck Schumer Demanding Probe Into $400M Plane

President Donald Trump lashed out over Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) demand for an investigation into the controversial multimillion-dollar gift from Qatar.

Trump is currently on a four-day swing through the Persian Gulf region with stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, which has been dogged by the controversy over his eager acceptance of a $400 million “flying palace” from Qatar to serve as Air Force One.

In a floor speech on Tuesday, Schumer said the plane is “not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat.”

“So, in light of the deeply troubling news of a possible Qatari-funded Air Force One, and the reports that the Attorney General personally signed off on this clearly unethical deal, I am announcing a hold on all DOJ political nominees, until we get more answers,” Schumer said.

During a press gaggle aboard Air Force One en route to Doha, Qatar on Wednesday, a reporter asked Trump about Schumer’s demands. The president responded by attacking Schumer:

REPORTER: Senator Schumer said he wants to block your Justice Department political appointees until he gets answers about questions–.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Schumer– no Schumer is–.

REPORTER: –about the Qatari plane.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Schumer has, you know, he’s become a Palestinian. There’s something wrong with him. You know, I’ve known him a long time and there’s something wrong. He’s lost his confidence, totally. There’s just something wrong. I don’t know what it is with Schumer.

In his speech, Schumer laid out the questions he wants answered:

President Trump has told the American people that this is a ‘free jet’.

Does that mean the Qataris are delivering a ready-on-day-one plane with all the security measures already built in?

If so, who installed those security measures and how do we know they were properly installed? Why would we take the risk of trusting any foreign country to do this sensitive work?

If not, what security modifications would be needed to ensure a foreign-sourced Air Force One is safe to use?

If this is, as President Trump promised, a ‘free jet’, will the Qataris pay for those highly sensitive installations or will American taxpayers have to cover those costs?

How much will those modifications cost American taxpayers, hundreds of millions of dollars? Billions?

If the American taxpayers are forced to pay for this temporary plane, does it mean that the U.S. Government will cancel the contract for the future Boeing plane?

If so, how much will that cancellation cost?

If not, why are American taxpayers being asked to spend hundreds of millions of dollars or more on a plane that will only be used for a year or two?

Additionally, who in the Trump Administration was responsible for this crooked deal?

What are the parameters of this deal, and which country brought it up first—us or them?

What is Qatar being offered in return?

Considering past security disasters such as the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, what are the security risks of this arrangement?

Finally, how is this gift not naked corruption? The Attorney General must testify before both the House and Senate to explain why gifting Donald Trump a private jet does not violate the emoluments clause – which requires congressional approval – or any other ethics laws.

Until the Attorney General explains her blatantly inept decision and we get complete and comprehensive answers to these and other questions, I will place a hold on all political nominees to the Department Of Justice.

Watch above via C-SPAN.