Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) argued on Wednesday that a president receiving gifts from a foreign country is not his concern despite him being the House Speaker and the Constitution explicitly empowering Congress to make such decisions.
At a press conference on Capitol Hill, Johnson was asked by a reporter if Congress should have a say in whether Trump accepts a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar.
“Look, I’ve been a little busy on reconciliation, so I’m not following all the twists and turns of the Qatar jet, I certainly heard about it. My understanding is it’s not a personal gift to the president, it’s a gift to the United States, and other nations give us gifts all the time, but I’m going to leave it to the administration,” Johnson responded. “They know much more about the details of that, okay? It’s not my lane.”
But it is Johnson’s lane, as the Constitution explicitly gives Congress the authority to determine exceptions to the emoluments clause.
The clause states that: “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.”
For instance, Congress passed a joint resolution to authorize President Grover Cleveland to accept the Statue of Liberty which was a gift from France.
Trump has repeatedly defended accepting the plane without congressional approval, saying only a “fool” would turn down that offer.
