Ted Cruz Breaks with MAGA, Condemns Trump’s Qatar Jet Scandal as Security Nightmare
Republican Senator Ted Cruz is distancing himself from Donald Trump and the MAGA camp, harshly criticizing the former president’s acceptance of a luxury jet from Qatar—calling it a potential national security threat. Cruz warned that turning the $400 million aircraft into Air Force One could create “significant espionage and surveillance problems.”
“This scandal is going nuclear,” one Hill staffer said as bipartisan alarm mounts.
“I’m not a fan of Qatar,” Cruz said in an interview with CNBC. “They have a deeply troubling history of funding theocratic extremists who want to kill Americans—groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. That’s a serious problem. And I think this jet could be a major intelligence vulnerability. We’ll see how this plays out, but I have real concerns.”
Trump reportedly plans to retrofit the Qatari aircraft as a new Air Force One—and then take it with him post-presidency as part of his personal fleet, potentially to use for his presidential library. The optics and ethics are glaring. What exactly is Qatar expecting in return for this lavish gift? Certainly not nothing.
It’s obvious the Qataris didn’t hand over this jet out of goodwill. They’re likely aiming to sway U.S. foreign policy through Trump. And yes—there’s every reason to believe the plane could be bugged.
Cruz isn’t alone in sounding the alarm.
Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, warned that “accepting this aircraft would pose immense counterintelligence risks, potentially giving a foreign government access to sensitive U.S. systems and communications.”
Senator Dick Durbin was even more blunt.
“It’s completely reckless,” Durbin said. “We’re talking about the commander-in-chief making life-and-death decisions aboard a plane gifted by a foreign government—with 200 miles of wiring that could be compromised? That’s beyond irresponsible.”
Durbin added that he is “certainly” worried about espionage threats and wants every inch of the plane combed for hidden surveillance tech.
“We’re going to have to inspect every square inch to make sure no foreign power has access to the most vital decisions our president makes,” he said.
Durbin also took aim at MAGA Attorney General Pam Bondi, calling for her to testify before Congress on how this jet was approved. He questioned her silence and pointed to her deep financial ties to the Qatari regime.
“Let’s not forget—before she became attorney general, Pam Bondi was a paid agent and lobbyist for Qatar,” Durbin said. “That’s not just a conflict of interest—it’s a threat to national security.”
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