During the May 12 episode of CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront, the anchor claimed that former President Barack Obama would have accepted a multimillion-dollar private jet from the Qatari royal family—a statement made without evidence and during coverage of a controversy involving President Donald Trump.
Excuse us, Erin—but what are we doing here?
During the May 12 episode of CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront, the anchor claimed that former President Barack Obama would have accepted a multimillion-dollar private jet from the Qatari royal family—a statement made without evidence and during coverage of a controversy involving President Donald Trump.
The portion of the conversation begins at the 21:08 timestamp, with Burnett emphasizing,”You don’t have Qatar calling up and saying, ‘Hey, George W. Bush, I’m going to give you a plane.’ Or Obama,” followed by “Bush wouldn’t have been willing. Right. Obama would.”
The statement was made while discussing reports that the government of Qatar has offered a Boeing 747-8 jet—estimated to be worth $400 million—for use in Trump’s post-presidency activities, including a possible presidential library. The deal has drawn scrutiny over whether it violates the U.S. Constitution’s emoluments clause, which prohibits federal officials from accepting gifts from foreign governments without Congressional approval.
Burnett’s suggestion that Obama “would” have taken the jet raises concern, especially due to the former president’s historically cautious White House conduct, with one of his largest public uproars stemming from him wearing a beige suit. (How dare he! Call Olivia Pope!)
Anyway, to date, there is no public evidence or reporting that Obama has ever accepted, solicited, or been offered a private jet by any foreign nation.
Back to business, though……
The segment aimed to illustrate how unusual Qatar’s gift to Trump would be. However, Burnett’s delivery went further than commentary. By asserting that Obama would have accepted the jet, she stepped beyond journalism into personal conjecture about a former president’s ethics—without sourcing or support.
This is not the first time Burnett has made some “back-handed” commentary about thiscountry’s first Black president. In a 2011 segment during coverage of Occupy Wall Street, she remarked, “It seems like people want a messiah leader, just like they did when they anointed Barack Obama.” That statement, too, was criticized at the time for its tone.
As of this publication, neither CNN nor Burnett has clarified the remark. There has also been no official response from President Obama or his representatives. They don’t need to, however, because remember “When they go low, we go high.”
Burnett’s comment wasn’t inferred, paraphrased, or taken out of context—it was captured directly from the show’s own transcript and remains viewable in the official CNN YouTube upload of the broadcast. Whether flippant or deliberate, her on-air speculation about Obama’s willingness to accept a luxury aircraft from a foreign power, in our opinion, was out of line!
Sometimes a throwaway line carries more weight than intended. And when it’s about a former U.S. president’s ethics, that weight shouldn’t be carried without receipts.
