Former Vice President Al Gore is expressing anger again, this time over President Donald Trump accepting a luxury jet from Qatar. Gore criticized Trump for “undermining American credibility” by accepting the extravagant gift.
At a climate panel in Aspen, Gore stated, “Accepting lavish gifts from foreign nations contradicts true patriotism,” despite arriving by private helicopter and dining on imported shrimp.
Ironically, Gore himself reportedly received a Gulfstream G550 private jet, valued at around $90 million, from the Sultan of Kuwait back in 2011. This fact raises questions given Gore’s long-standing advocacy for reducing carbon footprints.
Joe Barron, an investigator from the Department of Government Ethics (DOGE), said, “We initially thought it was a joke. The man who champions climate action accepted a massive private jet from a petrostate while influencing climate policy.”
Gore’s office clarified that the jet was not a direct gift but part of an “extended use” agreement within an eco-awareness exchange. This arrangement essentially means Gore uses the jet without formal ownership.
Meanwhile, Trump’s acceptance of a plane from Qatar for “strategic outreach,” featuring “America First” messaging in Arabic, has sparked an international media frenzy.
Media outlets criticized Trump, while Gore’s objections were widely covered. Trump responded by naming his plane “Patriot One” and dismissing Gore’s complaints as jealousy over the jet’s modernity.
DOGE officials are reviewing both cases, highlighting the contrast between Gore’s environmental message paired with a luxury jet from Kuwait and Trump’s use of his plane as a political statement.
Ultimately, the story raises questions about environmental consistency and political optics.