On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that he would slow the process of confirming political nominees for the Department of Justice (DOJ) until more clarity is given on President Donald Trump’s plan to receive a roughly $400 million luxury aircraft known as the “Flying Palace” from Qatar.

The move comes after sources told ABC News that Attorney General Pam Bondi provided a legal memo to White House lawyer David Warrington and they determined it was “legally permissible” for the donation of the Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to be conditioned on transferring ownership to the Trump presidential library foundation shortly before the end of the president’s term.

“This is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat,” Schumer said in a Senate floor speech. “So, 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 listed a number of questions focused on security risks and seeking clarity on whether taxpayers would be on the hook for the plane.

The top Democrat said the DOJ’s Foreign Agents Registration Act Unit needs to “disclose all activities by Qatari foreign agents inside the US that could benefit President Trump or the Trump Organization.” He also declared that Bondi “must testify before both the House and the Senate to explain why gifting Donald Trump a private jet does not violate the Emoluments Clause — which requires congressional approval — or any ethics law.”

A hold requires Senate majority leadership to schedule a floor vote for a nominee, bypassing the faster unanimous consent process that would allow the upper chamber to confirm the president’s picks in batches. Democrats have employed the hold strategy and other tactics to stymie other Trump nominees.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) signaled on Monday that Republicans would move forward with Trump’s picks, adding that he hoped Democrats would stop their “pointless obstruction” because allowing the upper chamber to confirm nominees would allow lawmakers more room to legislate and spend more time in their states. “But if we have to do this the hard way, we will,” Thune said. “We’re going to get the president’s team in place.”

Qatar is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, and it spends massive sums of money to gain influence in the United States. It also uses its riches to bankroll the terrorist group Hamas and the Middle Eastern news powerhouse Al Jazeera. The oil-rich government frequently invites politicians on state-funded junkets to the Middle East, where they are treated to all the luxuries that Qatar has to offer.

Amid a torrent of criticism, including many who generally support Trump, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump’s administration is committed to full transparency.”

Trump, who is expected to visit Qatar this week during a swing through the Middle East, also dismissed the concerns in a post on Truth Social.

“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA,” Trump said.

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On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that he would slow the process of confirming political nominees for the Department of Justice (DOJ) until more clarity is given on President Donald Trump’s plan to receive a roughly $400 million luxury aircraft known as the “Flying Palace” from Qatar.

The move comes after sources told ABC News that Attorney General Pam Bondi provided a legal memo to White House lawyer David Warrington and they determined it was “legally permissible” for the donation of the Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to be conditioned on transferring ownership to the Trump presidential library foundation shortly before the end of the president’s term.

“This is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat,” Schumer said in a Senate floor speech. “So, 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 listed a number of questions focused on security risks and seeking clarity on whether taxpayers would be on the hook for the plane.

The top Democrat said the DOJ’s Foreign Agents Registration Act Unit needs to “disclose all activities by Qatari foreign agents inside the US that could benefit President Trump or the Trump Organization.” He also declared that Bondi “must testify before both the House and the Senate to explain why gifting Donald Trump a private jet does not violate the Emoluments Clause — which requires congressional approval — or any ethics law.”

A hold requires Senate majority leadership to schedule a floor vote for a nominee, bypassing the faster unanimous consent process that would allow the upper chamber to confirm the president’s picks in batches. Democrats have employed the hold strategy and other tactics to stymie other Trump nominees.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) signaled on Monday that Republicans would move forward with Trump’s picks, adding that he hoped Democrats would stop their “pointless obstruction” because allowing the upper chamber to confirm nominees would allow lawmakers more room to legislate and spend more time in their states. “But if we have to do this the hard way, we will,” Thune said. “We’re going to get the president’s team in place.”

Qatar is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, and it spends massive sums of money to gain influence in the United States. It also uses its riches to bankroll the terrorist group Hamas and the Middle Eastern news powerhouse Al Jazeera. The oil-rich government frequently invites politicians on state-funded junkets to the Middle East, where they are treated to all the luxuries that Qatar has to offer.

Amid a torrent of criticism, including many who generally support Trump, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump’s administration is committed to full transparency.”

Trump, who is expected to visit Qatar this week during a swing through the Middle East, also dismissed the concerns in a post on Truth Social.

“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA,” Trump said.

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