Intro

President Trump is in the Middle East on the first major international trip of his second term. At the same time, a firestorm has erupted over his plan to accept a $400 million luxury airplane from the Qatari government.

Today, Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent, explains how the free plane may set a problematic precedent — and what Qatar might expect in return.

Guest: Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• Republicans on Capitol Hill seem unlikely to challenge President Trump, as he courts gifts and pushes guardrails.
• When pressed on the ethical implications of accepting a luxury jet, Mr. Trump said only someone “stupid” would turn down such an offer.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

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