Ben Shapiro, Laura Loomer lead rare MAGA backlash to Trump's Qatari jet
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Top MAGA influencers Ben Shapiro, Laura Loomer and Mark Levin broke sharply with President Trump Monday over his decision to accept a $400 million private jet from the Qatari government.
Why it matters: The revolt marks one of the few times since Trump's return to power that key voices in his base have publicly questioned his judgment — revealing cracks in a MAGA coalition built on unwavering loyalty.
- Trump, who will visit Qatar as part of his Middle East trip this week, has scoffed at criticism of the royal family's extraordinary gift, saying it would be "stupid" to turn down a new Air Force One.
- But for pro-Israel Republicans, Trump's coziness with Qatar — which they see as a chief sponsor of Hamas — crosses a red line.
What they're saying: "I love President Trump. I would take a bullet for him. But, I have to call a spade a spade. We cannot accept a $400 million 'gift' from jihadists in suits," tweeted Loomer, an influential MAGA conspiracy theorist who played a key role in ousting national security adviser Mike Waltz.
- Mark Levin and Ben Shapiro, two of the most prominent pro-Israel voices on the MAGA right, have expressed deep alarm at Trump's growing ties with Qatar — a U.S. ally that denies accusations that it finances terrorist groups.
- "Taking sacks of goodies from people who support Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood, Al Jazeera, all the rest, that's not America First," Shapiro said on his top-rated podcast.
The intrigue: Shapiro also warned that the Trump family's crypto ventures — including the president's meme coin — are inviting "influence peddling" allegations that could damage the MAGA agenda.
- "I think if we switch the names to Hunter Biden and Joe Biden, we'd all be freaking out on the right," Shapiro said. "If you want President Trump to succeed, this kind of skeezy stuff needs to stop."
Between the lines: Democrats have already stalled stablecoin legislation over Trump's crypto dealings and are now demanding investigations over the Qatari plane.
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) suggested on Fox News that Trump's acceptance of the gift could be unconstitutional, arguing that it's "not worth the appearance of impropriety."
Yes, but: The rare criticism was not uniformly vociferous across the MAGAverse.
- Some pro-Trump podcasts made only glancing references to the story on Monday, and other influencers paired mild discomfort with continued expressions of trust in the president.
- Many MAGA loyalists landed on the same strategic response they embraced after Signalgate: Don't give the media — or Democrats — an inch.
