Scoop: Dem seeks probe into reports Qatar plans to gift plane to Trump

• "So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane," he wrote.
• "Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!!"

Why it matters: The swift backlash signals that congressional Democrats may latch onto the issue when they return to session next week.

• The Democratic National Committee blasted out a press release Sunday afternoon branding the development as Trump's "latest grift."

Driving the news: Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) wrote to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the acting Department of Defense inspector general and the Office of Government Ethics requesting a probe into the matter.

• "With an estimated value of $400 million, the aerial palace would constitute the most valuable gift ever conferred on a President by a foreign government," he wrote in a letter first obtained by Axios.
• Torres asked for an "immediate" ethics review of the reported gift and an advisory opinion on whether it violates federal ethics rules or the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
• He also asked for a recommendation on "policy reforms to prevent the conversion of foreign gifts into private property by current or former presidents."

Zoom out: ABC News reported Sunday that the Trump administration plans to accept a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the Qatari royal family.

• The plane, which Trump toured when it was parked in West Palm Beach earlier this year, has been referred to as a "flying palace."
• Torres, in his letter, repeatedly called it a "flying grift."
• ABC also reported that the Justice Department has drafted an analysis for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth concluding that it would be legal to accept the gift and later transfer it to Trump's presidential library.

Yes, but: Qatar's media attaché to the U.S., Ali Al-Ansari, said in a statement it is "inaccurate" that "a jet is being gifted by Qatar to the United States government during the upcoming visit of President Trump."

• ABC reported that the gift would be "announced" during the visit. Its reporting that the U.S. is preparing to accept the gift was matched by several other outlets, including the New York Times.

• A White House official told Axios' Marc Caputo that it is the U.S. government's understanding that the plane will be gifted to the American people through the Pentagon.
• Al-Ansari added in his statement: "The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar's Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense, but the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made."

Between the lines: Torres may have a difficult time securing a probe from the Pentagon inspector general's office or the Office of Government Ethics, both of which are run by Trump appointees.

• The GAO, on the other hand, is more responsive to congressional requests and may grant a review.
• A spokesperson for the Pentagon's inspector general acknowledged receipt of the letter to Axios but declined to comment further.
• The GAO and the Office of Government Ethics, as well as the White House, did not respond to requests for comment.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting and comment from President Trump.