Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) announced Tuesday that he is blocking all of Donald Trump’s Justice Department nominees over questions about the administration’s plan to accept a luxury jet from Qatar for presidential use.
“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 in a Senate floor speech, according to NBC News.
Schumer said the proposed agreement is “not just naked corruption — it is also a grave national security threat.”
“Until the American people learn the truth about this deal, I will do my part to block the galling and truly breathtaking politicization at the Department of Justice,” he added.
Schumer cannot block nominees using this procedural move, but he can significantly slow their confirmation.
On Tuesday, Schumer said he has several demands before he lifts the blockade, including having the attorney general, Pam Bondi, testify before Congress to explain how accepting such a gift would comply with the emoluments clause, which prohibits presidents from receiving gifts from foreign countries.
The senator also included a list of questions he is seeking answers to.
“President Trump has told the American people 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?” Schumer asked. “If this is, as President Trump promised, a free jet, will the Qataris pay for those highly sensitive installations, or will American taxpayers cover the cost?”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the legal details on accepting the plane from the Qatari royal family are “still being worked out.”
The Office of Legal Counsel at the DOJ claimed Bondi approved a memo declaring that the acceptance of the plane was legal. It’s worth noting that Bondi was a lobbyist for the Qatari government.
In response to Schumer’s blockade a White House spokesperson said: “Senator Schumer and his anti-law-and-order party are prioritizing politics over critical DOJ appointments, obstructing President Trump’s Make Safe Again agenda. Cryin’ Chuck must end the antics, stop Senate stonewalling, and prioritize the safety and civil rights of Americans.”
