'You Are About To Commit A Grievous Error': Tim Kaine Issues Clear Warning To Qatar Over Gifted 747

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During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing last week, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) spoke about the plane Qatar gifted to President Trump.

Transcript

00:00Okay, Mr. Cain.

00:04Thank you to the witnesses.

00:05I'm just going to pick up on Senator Murphy's questions or line of questions about the Qatari's

00:14offer of the plane, and it's not really a question for you, but it's really a message.

00:18If folks from Qatar are watching this, you've made a grievous mistake by putting this offer

00:24on the table.

00:25If the offer had been, because of delays in producing the next version of Air Force One,

00:32we have a jet that we will make available to whoever the U.S. President is until that next

00:41aircraft is complete, it would have raised a series of questions for the committee.

00:45Is this an aircraft that can be used consistent with security protocols for the President?

00:51Can it be adequately defended?

00:53Needs it be updated?

00:54How much is the update going to cost?

00:57There would have been some questions about whether this was trying to curry favor with the Trump

01:01administration.

01:02But if it had been an even-handed offer, as long as there's a delay, here is something

01:06that the U.S. can use until the next iteration of Air Force One is complete.

01:11We could have had a debate about the details.

01:14But the notion that, and oh, by the way, it's for President Trump, and when you are done in

01:18office, this is for you to take to the presidential library and use however you want, Qatar is badly

01:26damaging any reputation you have for credibility on the Hill by making that offer.

01:32You know, I read yesterday a story that said that on the Qatar East side the offer is still under consideration.

01:37I would urge you in the strongest possible terms to change the offer to make sure that it is not an offer to a particular

01:46individual like President Trump.

01:51Because by doing that, you will lead us to question your motivations for a very long time.

01:58You will damage the reputation.

02:00And let's be honest, Qatar has done a number of things that the U.S. has viewed as positive in terms

02:05of trying to help facilitate hostage release in Gaza.

02:08But Qatar has also done a number of things that cause members of this committee, based on previous

02:12statements, grave concern, including harboring Hamas leaders in Qatar.

02:18So I'm not going to try to give President Trump advice because he's not going to follow my advice.

02:23But if Qatar wants a long-term relationship with all branches of the United States government, you are about

02:28to commit a grievous error that is likely to be a permanent stain on your ethical record.

02:34And you should reconsider it.

02:35Second, Mr. Pratt, you were asked a question earlier, and maybe in a back and forth with Senator Rich,

02:41you talked about how ITAR is going to be one of your big headaches should you be confirmed.

02:45I would just encourage you, Senator Shaheen and I were just in a really, I think, instructive

02:50armed services hearing about foreign military sales and ITAR.

02:53And the witnesses were independent witnesses.

02:55They have experience at the Pentagon, but they were coming at it from the DOD side

02:59and talking about frustrations on the DOD side with the ITAR process.

03:04And I would just urge you and your team to take a look at that testimony and that hearing,

03:09because I think there's some good ideas in it that would help you solve this thing

03:12that I know is going to be a headache for you, but I appreciate your making it a priority.

03:16And then just a question, really, either for Mr. Pratt or maybe I'll go to Mr. DeSombre first, which is about AUKUS.

03:23I'm a big supporter of AUKUS.

03:26I think the U.S.-U.K.-Australia framework, Pillar 1 around sub-production, Pillar 2 open-ended,

03:34and it is something that can include other nations.

03:38If the, you know, if the Big Ten can have 16 teams, well, AUKUS can have more nations than the U.S., Australia and the U.K.

03:45Talk a little bit about the value that you see in AUKUS,

03:48and should you be confirmed how you would want to make sure that we harvest the upside of that arrangement?

03:54Senator, thank you very much for that question, and thank you for making the opportunity for your staff to meet with me.

03:58I greatly appreciated that.

04:00Obviously, this year we're celebrating the 74th anniversary of our ANZUS Treaty with Australia,

04:05so it's been one of our longest allies in the region,

04:08and AUKUS really gives us an opportunity to increase the strength of that relationship

04:13and what we can do in the region.

04:15Obviously, Pillar 1 with the conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarine,

04:19but Pillar 2 with regard to, you know, defense technology and co-production,

04:23potentially co-development as well, could be very valuable.

04:27And my understanding, you know, that the administration is committed to AUKUS,

04:30and I believe it's a very important part of our Indo-Pacific strategy in a way to,

04:34as I indicated with one of my priorities, you know, work with our allies and partners

04:37to enhance deterrence and counter-malign activities of our adversaries.

04:41I appreciate that. Look forward to working with you on it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

04:46Senator Haggerty.

04:48Thank you, Mr. Chair.

04:51Colonel Rayburn.

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