WASHINGTON, May 14: Donald Trump is the most powerful and famous person on the planet, at the helm of the biggest economy and the strongest military.
But on his trip to the Middle East this week, the American president is sounding more than a little envious of his Arab hosts.
He admired the marble in the Qatari palace as “perfecto” and “very hard to buy.” He praised the “gleaming marvels” of the skyline in Saudi Arabia. And he groused about the “much smaller” and “much less impressive” plane that is Air Force One.
On his flight to the region, Trump said the Gulf states all have “these brand-new Boeing 747s,” while he was stuck using a version nearly 4 decades old.
The president is so impatient for a replacement plane that he is considering accepting a donated model from Qatar, despite concerns that it could be less secure, costly to retrofit and a violation of the US Constitution’s prohibition on foreign gifts.
He presented no national security imperative for a swift upgrade rather than waiting for Boeing to finish new Air Force One jets that have been in the works for years.
It sounded like a case of keeping up with the Joneses, only in this case the Joneses are oil-rich leaders of Middle Eastern autocracies. For a former real estate developer with flamboyant tastes, Trump’s trip has been a tantalising peek into the lives of his more opulent counterparts.
“The job you’ve done is second to none,” Trump told Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, gazing up at his surroundings in the palace known as the Amiri Diwan. “You look at this, it’s so beautiful. As a construction person, I’m seeing perfect marble. This is what they call perfecto.” There have been other lavish touches on the trip, which will wind up with a stop in the United Arab Emirates. Air Force One received fighter jet escorts, honor guards stood by with golden swords in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the presidential limousine was welcomed by riders on camelback in Doha, Qatar.
“We appreciate those camels,” Trump told Al Thani. “I haven’t seen camels like that in a long time. That was some greeting.”
The Republican president’s admiration reflects an aesthetic and political vision at odds with American tradition. After declaring independence from the British monarchy, the Founding Fathers wanted to eschew anything that suggested royalty. Even as the United States emerged as the global superpower, the country and its leaders emphasised a facade of humility. (AP)
