Trump marvels at wealth of his Arab hosts while he eyes White House and Air Force One upgrades

DOHA – Donald Trump is the astir almighty and celebrated idiosyncratic connected the planet, astatine the helm of the biggest system and the strongest military.

But connected his travel to the Middle East this week, the American president is sounding much than a small envious of his Arab hosts.

He admired the marble successful the Qatari palace arsenic “perfecto” and “very hard to buy.” He praised the “gleaming marvels” of the skyline successful Saudi Arabia. And helium groused astir the “much smaller” and “much little impressive” level that is Air Force One.

On his formation to the region, Trump said the Gulf states each person “these brand-new Boeing 747s," portion helium was stuck utilizing a mentation astir 4 decades old.

The president is truthful impatient for a replacement level that helium is considering accepting a donated exemplary from Qatar, contempt concerns that it could beryllium little secure, costly to retrofit and a usurpation of the U.S. Constitution's prohibition connected overseas gifts. He presented nary nationalist information imperative for a swift upgrade alternatively than waiting for Boeing to decorativeness caller Air Force One jets that person been successful the works for years.

It sounded similar a lawsuit of keeping up with the Joneses, lone successful this lawsuit the Joneses are oil-rich leaders of Middle Eastern autocracies. For a erstwhile existent property developer with flamboyant tastes, Trump's travel has been a tantalizing peek into the lives of his much opulent counterparts.

“The occupation you've done is 2nd to none,” Trump told Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, gazing up astatine his surroundings successful the palace known arsenic the Amiri Diwan. “You look astatine this, it's truthful beautiful. As a operation person, I'm seeing cleanable marble. This is what they telephone perfecto.”

There person been different lavish touches connected the trip, which volition upwind up with a halt successful the United Arab Emirates. Air Force One received combatant pitchy escorts, grant guards stood by with aureate swords successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the statesmanlike limousine was welcomed by riders connected camelback successful Doha, Qatar.

“We admit those camels,” Trump told Al Thani. "I haven't seen camels similar that successful a agelong time. That was immoderate greeting."

The Republican president's admiration reflects an aesthetic and governmental imaginativeness astatine likelihood with American tradition. After declaring independency from the British monarchy, the Founding Fathers wanted to eschew thing that suggested royalty. Even arsenic the United States emerged arsenic the planetary superpower, the state and its leaders emphasized a facade of humility.

But that's ne'er been Trump's style. The billionaire's New York City penthouse is embellished with golden and marble, and parts of his Mar-a-Lago nine successful Florida are modeled aft France's Palace of Versailles.

After winning a 2nd word past year, Trump is anxious to bring the aforesaid attack to the presidency, and it's apt that his sojourn to the Middle East volition substance his tendency for renovations. The White House, contempt is grandeur, tin beryllium rather cramped. Office abstraction is constricted and authorities dinners are sometimes held successful a fancy structure to accommodate capable guests.

Trump said helium wants to physique "a beautiful, beauteous ballroom similar I person astatine Mar-a-Lago, arsenic beauteous arsenic tin be." He promised to ft the $100 cardinal bill.

“I deliberation we've outgrown the structure stuff, right, don't you think?” helium said recently.

Trump has besides talked astir paving implicit the tract successful the Rose Garden, turning it into a patio with “gorgeous stone” that would beryllium easier for holding events.

Some upgrades person already taken place, peculiarly successful the Oval Office. There are golden accents to the fireplace, doorway arches, walls and different areas of the room. The walls person go progressively packed with portraits of past presidents. A exemplary of a caller Air Force One — implicit with a overgarment strategy that echoes his idiosyncratic pitchy — sits connected a array successful the halfway of the room.

One prized summation is simply a transcript of the Declaration of Independence, which is concealed down a curtain to support it from sunlight. He sometimes dramatically unveils the papers for guests.

“You spot the caller and improved Oval Office arsenic it becomes much and much beautiful,” the president told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during a caller visit. He said it's been renovated “with large emotion and 24 karat golden — that ever helps too."

____ Megerian reported from Washington.

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