Trump arrives at over-the-top Qatar state dinner alongside his glamorous aides: Live updates

By Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent in Doha, Qatar

President Donald Trump arrived at Wednesday night’s state dinner with Qatar with a trio of his glamorous aides at his side.

After the Beast was accompanied by a herd of Arabian horses to the opulent Lusail Palace, Trump got out of the presidential limousine, with aides Margo Martin and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt ducking out the other side.

Trump greeted Qatar’s Emir Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani and his wife – who then took part of an extremely long receiving line. It would be the final event of the day of Trump’s Qatari state visit – his second stop on a three country Middle East trip.

Among those coming through – both Martin and Leavitt – with Martin in a black ensemble and the press secretary wearing a violet caped number.

Trump got animated when British TV host Piers Morgan came through, even pulling the former CNN anchor back to chat more with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Elon Musk, who showed up to Trump’s meetings in Saudi Arabia Tuesday, also reappeared.

Fox News’ Bret Baier also walked through the line.

By Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent in Doha, Qatar

Qatar’s Emir Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani told President Donald Trump at a Wednesday night state dinner in Doha that he feared for the U.S. leader’s life after the assassination attempt in July in Butler, Pennsylvania.

‘I prayed for your recovery and your safety,’ he said.

The emir then asked Trump to use his ‘leverage’ to stop the killing in Gaza.

Qatar has played a vital role in negotiations between Hamas and Israel in the aftermath of October 7th.

Trump’s host also called his stop in Qatar ‘no mystery.’

‘Yes, the United States is a superpower, boasting the largest economy and military force in history. Meanwhile, Qatar is one of the smallest countries with one of the smallest population, and as the Americans in the room know, D.C. is almost 7000 miles away from here, but my friends, small nations have their own superpowers, resilience, nimbleness — and we are a powerful agent for peace precisely because of our size,’ he said.

Jon Michael Raasch, Political Reporter for DailyMail.com

A group of protestors was forcefully removed from a Senate hearing where Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. was testifying.

‘RFK kills people!’ a cohort of protestors erupted during Kennedy’s opening remarks.

Videos of the activists screaming show RFK appears frightened when the cacophony of jeers broke out.

Immediately, Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., slammed his gavel and instructed the Capitol Police to remove the unruly audience members.

Protestors were carried out of the room as they tried to resist the authorities.

Trump aides James Blair and Stephen Miller are traveling in the Middle East with the president, but they still took time to address the ongoing debate in the Democratic party about former President Joe Biden’s run for reelection.

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

Telsa CEO Elon Musk arrived at the Qatar state dinner 30 minutes after the receiving line had began.

And the world’s richest man cut the line to get closer to the front, according to a White House pool report.

He shook hands with President Donald Trump and Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, then headed into the dinner.

And he was pictured shrugging sheepishly at his breach in line etiquette.

Democrats are trolling President Donald Trump as he attends a state dinner in Qatar by flying a sign reading ‘Welcome to Qatar-a-Lago’ over his Florida estate.

It’s a play on words of Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s favorite home.

Democrats are critical of Trump’s decision to accept a $400 million luxury 747 as a gift from the Qatari Royal Family. He plans to use it as Air Force One.

Jon Michael Raasch, Political Reporter for DailyMail.com

Elon Musk’s DOGE has been declared ‘dead’ in Congress.

In November Donald Trump appointed Musk to lead DOGE and House lawmakers eagerly set up a caucus with over a hundred members to support the effort.

The Congressional DOGE Caucus is comprised primarily of Republicans, though some more moderate Democrats, like Florida’s Rep. Jared Moskowitz, enthusiastically signed up.

Caucus members soon caught flak for DOGE’s sweeping cuts and layoffs, and constituents vented their anger at GOP town halls with screaming and swearing about the government-trimming antics of the world’s richest man.

The outrage was so acute that Musk’s company Tesla was targeted by vandals globally and Democrats began participating in high-profile protests in front of federal agencies facing DOGE cuts.

By Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent in Doha, Qatar

President Donald Trump made the $200 billion Qatari Boeing deal official – but not the one you think.

While he’s faced criticism for trying to turn a Qatari royal plane – made by Boeing -into a temporary Air Force One, the deal inked in Doha early Wednesday evening was for Qatar Airways to buy ‘160’ jets from the U.S. company.

He signed documents alongside Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

‘It’s the largest order of jets in the history of Boeing, that’s pretty good,’ said Trump, who was seated alongside Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg. ‘And that’s 140 – is it 140 or 160?’ he said, before settling on the higher number.

Trump then floated that Qatar Airways would end up with 200 planes in the end.

‘Get those planes out there. Get them out there,’ the president said.

By Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

First lady Melania Trump is skipping President Donald Trump’s trip to the Middle East – but the president brought an entourage of female staffers with him to Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh Tuesday.

Following the lead Melania set when she visited the kingdom alongside her husband in 2017, the women of Trumpworld opted not to cover their heads – wearing western-style pantsuits instead.

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles left her silver bob uncovered, and wore a baby blue oversized blazer over a conservative black top, black slacks and pointed black block heels, as she appeared alongside the president at a series of meetings at the Royal Court on Tuesday.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also went with pastels – wearing a shiny mint green pantsuit as she bustled alongside President Donald Trump, Cabinet secretaries, top aides and the White House press at the Royal Court.

Longtime Trump aide Margo Martin, who serves as a special assistant and communications adviser to the president, shared a picture of her look on her Instagram page.

By Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent in Doha, Qatar

Red Qatari-emblazoned Cybertrucks led President Donald Trump’s motorcade into Doha, shortly after he arrived Wednesday afternoon in Qatar – the second stop of his three-country Middle East trip.

The Tesla vehicles come after the company’s CEO Elon Musk – who is winding down his efforts at DOGE – showed up in Riyadh Tuesday and attended a series of events on Trump’s schedule with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.

Musk flew independently of Air Force One to Saudi Arabia.

He appeared not to travel with Trump to Doha Wednesday.

The president’s official delegation included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, among others.

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

President Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin wants him to attend Thursday’s meeting in Turkey about peace negotiations with Ukraine and fretted the Russian president wouldn’t attend if he didn’t.

Trump indicated he was open to making the trip.

‘I don’t know if he’s showing up. I know he would like me to be there. And that’s a possibility,’ the president told reporters on Air Force One as he traveled from Saudi Arabia to Doha.

‘I’ve been thinking about that. Now tomorrow, we’re all booked out, you understand that. We’re going to UAE tomorrow. So we have a very full situation. Now that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it to save a lot of lives and come back. But yeah, I’ve been thinking about it. I don’t know that he would be there if I’m not there.’

Trump is on a four day trip to the Middle East. He is scheduled to be in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.

Urkainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated he’ll travel to Turkey – but only if Putin does.

Trump has been pushing both leaders to sign a peace deal.

Asked how Putin was handling things, Trump said: ‘I don’t know. I’ll let you know in a week. I’ll let you know in a few days.’

By Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent in Doha, Qatar

President Donald Trump met with Syria’s new leader, President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Wednesday morning during his trip to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and is ‘exploring normalization’ with the war-torn nation.

President Recep Erdogan of Turkey joined by phone while Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud joined Trump and al-Sharaa in person.

Trump told reporters on Air Force One en route to Qatar that the meeting with al-Sharaa went ‘great,’ calling the 42-year-old a ‘young, attractive guy.’

‘Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter,’ the president offered.

al-Sharaa formerly fought for al-Qaeda in Iraq.

‘He’s got a real shot of holding it together. I spoke with President Erdogan, who is very friendly with him. He feels he’s got a shot of doing a good job. It’s a torn up country,’ Trump said.

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

President Donald Trump was filled with praise for Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thanic, the leader of Qatar, when the two met.

He enjoyed the architecture of the Amiri Diwan, which is filled with white marble.

‘The job you’ve done is second to none. You look at this, it’s so beautiful. As a construction person, I’m seeing perfect marble. This is what they call perfecto,’ the president said.

Trump also remarked about the camels he saw upon arrival.

‘We appreciate those camels. I haven’t seen camels like that in a long time. And it was some greeting, we appreciate it very much.’

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

FIFA President Gianni Infantino hitched a ride on Air Force One from Saudi Arabia to Qatar, joining President Donald Trump for his Middle East Trip.

The soccer chief and commander-in-chief have developed a friendship as the U.S. prepares to host the 2026 World Cup. The last championship was in Qatar.

Infantino will preside over a ceremony in which Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thanic, the leader of Qatar, will hand World Cup hosting duties to Trump.

The emir mentioned the US hosting the World Cup when he welcomed Trump to his country. ‘Football. As you guys call it, soccer,’ he said and noted they had hosted it previously.

‘There wasn’t one incident here,’ he said of their event in 2022.

‘You did a great job,’ Trump responded.

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

President Donald Trump went after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, accusing the Jewish senator of being a ‘Palestine.’

His criticism came after Schumer announced he is putting blanket hold on all Justice Department political nominees as he seeks answers to Trump’s decision to accept a luxury plane from the Qatari Royal fmily.

‘Schumer, you know, he’s become a Palestinian. There’s something wrong with him. You know, I’ve known him a long time and there’s something wrong. He’s lost his confidence, totally. There’s just something wrong. I don’t know what it is with Schumer,’ the president told reporters on Air Force One on the way to Doha.

President Donald Trump arrived in Qatar Wednesday amid a controversy about its gift of a new Air Force One and amid hopes he can broker an Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

The president is in Doha on day two of his four-day trip to the Middle East, where his focus has been on strengthening U.S. relations with the Arab world.

He’ll enjoy a state visit with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thanic, who is expected to announce billions in investments in the United States.

But Trump’s trip also raised questions on where America’s relationship with Israel stands and turned the spotlight on Qatar’s wealthy royal family and its gift of a ‘flying palace’ to the president.

MAGA allies have turned on the president over his decision to accpet a 747 from Qatar.

But Trump said he would be a ‘fool’ not to accept it on behalf of America.

On Truth Social he reposted a message from a supporter which said:

To everyone complaining about this gift: How about the Resolute Desk aka Hayes Desk that was gifted to President Hayes from Queen Victoria in 1880?

What about the Statue of Liberty which was gifted from France in 1886?

The plane is NOT President Trumps!!! It is a gift to AMERICA and the DOD 🇺🇸 Get over it!