Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who isn’t exactly famous for bold standoffs with President Donald Trump, is about to throw down a political marker.
On Tuesday, Schumer announced a blanket hold on all Justice Department political appointments awaiting Senate confirmation until the White House comes clean about Trump’s plan to accept a luxury jet from Qatar. The aircraft, reportedly worth roughly $400 million, would serve as the new Air Force One—until Trump leaves the White House. After that, it would be transferred into the ownership of his future presidential library.
Trump’s decision to accept the plane has triggered a rare bipartisan discomfort—but so far, only Democrats are demanding answers.
“This is not just naked corruption. It is also a grave national security threat,” Schumer plans to say on the Senate floor on Tuesday, according to prepared remarks received by The New York Times. “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.”
A 13-year-old private Boeing aircraft that President Donald Trump toured to check out new hardware and technology features, and highlight the aircraft maker's delay in delivering updated versions of the Air Force One presidential aircraft, takes off from Palm Beach International Airport on Feb. 16 in Florida.
According to Punchbowl News, this is the first time Schumer has ever placed a full hold on a category of presidential nominees—an extraordinary step meant to spotlight what Democrats are calling an unconstitutional arrangement between Trump and the Qatari government.
Republicans, for their part, are largely keeping their heads down. Asked about the deal, several GOP senators claimed they lacked enough information to comment. Convenient!
To be clear, Schumer’s move is somewhat symbolic. With Republicans in control of the Senate, they can still push through Trump’s nominees. But this hold adds procedural friction: more floor time, more delays, more public scrutiny. And it piles onto an already sluggish nomination process that has made Trump allies like Senate Majority Leader John Thune fume.
Schumer’s demands are extensive. He wants the DOJ’s Foreign Agents Registration Act Unit to disclose any activity by Qatari agents in the U.S. that might benefit Trump or his businesses. Schumer is also asking the administration to release details about the jet: Does it come with security upgrades? Who’s paying for them? And what happens to new Air Force One planes already on order from Boeing?
Most notably, Schumer wants Attorney General Pam Bondi—who’s developed a habit of prosecuting Trump’s political enemies while ignoring the president’s own blatant ethics violations—to testify before Congress. He’s demanding she explain how accepting a nearly half-billion-dollar plane from a foreign government doesn’t violate the Constitution’s ban on presidential gifts.
In other words, Bondi has some explaining to do. Especially given that her office sees protesting Trump donor Elon Musk as a potential felony, but apparently views taking a foreign luxury jet as totally aboveboard.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune
Reached for comment on Tuesday, a White House spokesperson told NBC News that “Cryin’ Chuck” is “prioritizing politics over critical DOJ appointments, obstructing President Trump’s Make Safe Again agenda.”
As of now, three DOJ nominees are awaiting floor votes. But Schumer’s office told the Times that the minority leader’s hold could eventually extend to dozens more, including U.S. attorney and U.S. marshal nominations.
And it’s worth noting that Schumer, of all people, is the one leading this charge. He’s not exactly known for drawing lines in the sand, and progressives haven’t forgotten the times he’s caved when it counted. But with even some MAGA voices uneasy about the jet, Schumer may see an easy win—and this time, he’s seizing it. Credit where it’s due: He’s showing a renewed willingness to push back when it matters.
Trump, as usual, is brushing off the blowback.
"I mean, I could be a stupid person saying, 'No, we don't want a free, very expensive airplane,'" he said when pressed by reporters about the optics and legality of the apparent bribe.
That might sum up Trump’s view of the presidency: If you can grift it, why not? But Schumer—and anyone who still cares about ethics, national security, or constitutional norms—isn’t letting this one fly.
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