Letter to the editor: Trump's Trojan horse

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 09.10.26

Trump says he never looks a gift horse in the mouth. Perhaps that’s why he gets them.

When Trump slammed Belgium’s diamond merchants with tariffs, they became oddly fond of him. They gifted Trump a $35,000 “watch-sized” 18-karat gold ring bejeweled with 321 diamonds, 56 sapphires, 13 emeralds and six rubies. They denied any connection between that and Trump’s decision to eliminate their tariffs.

When Trump hammered Swiss businesses with tariffs, they responded, not in kind, but with kindness. They awarded Trump a gold Rolex clock and a $130,000 gold bar. Within days, Trump slashed Swiss tariffs from 39% to 15%.

The Europeans are pikers next to Qatar, the Persian Gulf country with close ties to Iran that acts as an intermediary between Iran and the U.S. Qatar gave Trump a $400 million Boeing 747 which, Trump says, has “a level of luxury that nobody’s ever seen before.” Trump calls it his “Palace in the Sky.”

Why would Iran-friendly Qatar tempt Trump into replacing the most secure plane on Earth, made entirely in America, with one outfitted by a Middle Eastern government?

That question loomed large after Trump was forced to abandon the Qatari plane he flew to Turkey in July for “Old” Air Force One (AF1). Israeli intelligence warned of a possible assassination attempt, so, when he left Turkey for Britain, Trump sneaked off AF1, hid in a catering truck, then surreptitiously boarded a much smaller C-32A.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained aboard AF1. So did 13 unlucky reporters who served as unwitting decoys.

American officials had warned Trump that Qatar’s plane lacks AF1’s state-of-the-art countermeasures and could be hiding undetected listening devices, malicious software or concealed explosives.

But Trump said only a “stupid person” would refuse what he called the “world’s most luxurious plane,” adding, “Frankly, we couldn’t build a plane like this.” Perhaps, but at least it wouldn’t be a Trojan horse.

Larry Widman

Leland