Political Quotes

“Madam President, I cannot believe I have to say this, but a President should not take a $400 million gift from a foreign country. It doesn't matter which President or what party. It doesn't matter which foreign country. It doesn't matter if there is or is not a legal justification. No President should take a $400 million gift from a foreign country. I shouldn't have to explain why, but it is a high principle, literally enshrined in the Constitution because people whom we represent should know--not think but know--that their representatives are focused on them and this country only; that our loyalties are not divided; that our minds are not wandering elsewhere. The emoluments clause in the Constitution--it is a fancy phrase but a simple idea: no foreign gifts. If a foreign government offers you anything but especially something worth close to half a billion dollars, the answer is, no, thank you. End of story. Very simple. End of story. I cannot take that. First of all, I cannot take that because I can't have divided loyalties. I am going into the region; I can't take a $400 million gift before I begin negotiations with you. But it is also explicitly prohibited by the U.S. Constitution. And the gift in question is that the country of Qatar is going to literally provide a luxury aircraft--not just any luxury aircraft to the President of the United States but Air Force One. And why does this matter? Air Force One is not just a random luxury airplane.…”