The Trump team is in talks with the Qatari royal family about their donating or loaning a $400 million jumbo jet to the US Department of Defense. The plane would then be outfitted by DOD to serve as the US presidential aircraft — known as “Air Force One” when the president is on board.
The jet would then be donated to President Trump’s presidential library before he leaves office.
In a post on Truth Social the president said the Pentagon was getting the aircraft as a “GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE,” to replace the 40-year-old jet “temporarily” serving as Air Force One.
This, as Trump has voiced his frustration over the delays in Boeing delivering two new 747-8 aircraft intended to serve as the permanent next aircraft to execute the presidential support mission.
In 2018, during his first term, Trump had negotiated a deal with Boeing for the jets to be ready by 2024.
However, an Air Force official informed Congress last week that it might not be available until 2028. If the deal is finalized, the luxury jet would be one of the most valuable gifts ever received by the US government.
In February, Trump expressed frustration at the delays, saying “I’m not happy with the fact that it’s taken so long … There’s no excuse for it.” He said his team was “looking at other alternatives” and that he was considering buying and refurbishing used jets.
While the deal is not final, ethics experts are raising concerns about the possible donation from a foreign government, which they say would be unconstitutional, violating the emoluments clause, which forbids US officials from accepting gifts from foreign officials without congressional approval.
Most of the bashing comes from Democrats. As Politico reported:
“Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar,” wrote Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a post on X. “It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.”
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a frequent target of the president’s ire, accused Trump of violating that clause (in Article 1 of the Constitution), which bars any federal government office holders from accepting any “present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state,” absent Congressional approval.
“Seems pretty clear that a $400 million ‘air palace’ from a foreign emir qualifies,” he wrote on X. “The corruption is brazen.”
But some right wingers, such Laura Loomer, also appear outraged. For them it’s not the gift itself, but the source that is concerning.
“I would take a bullet for him. But, I have to call a spade a spade,” she said. “This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true… I’m so disappointed.”
However, legal experts note that the plane will not be a gift to Trump, but that the Qatari Ministry of Defense would gift the super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to DOD. It would then be available for President Trump to use officially while in office before being donated to his presidential library foundation so he could use it after leaving office.
“It’s not a gift to me, it’s a gift to the Department of Defense,” Trump said, telling a reporter they should be “embarrassed” for asking what his response is to people who view the jet as a personal gift to him.
Air Force One can technically be any Air Force aircraft carrying the president, but it’s mainly associated with two planes that are part of the president’s air travel fleet, and both are “specially configured Boeing 747-200B’s,” according to the Air Force and Boeing. Beyond differing from Boeing’s standard 747 in terms of plane capacity, the Air Force One planes have different “electronic and communications equipment,” a self-contained baggage loader, air-stairs and it can refuel in-flight. It has a stateroom and office for the president, and a conference/dining room, along with separate accommodations for guests, staff and media.
When Could Trump Use The New Plane?
It’s not clear, because the plane would have to be retrofitted to meet the Air Force One standards for security. An unnamed Defense Department official told The New York Times on Sunday it would take a while to secure a contract to make the upgrades, and then actually modify the plane, saying: “We’re talking years, not months.”
Trump is set to visit Qatar during a trip to the Middle East this week where he was expected to announce the plane’s donation to the US.
However, Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s Media Attaché to the U.S., told POLITICO the reports are “inaccurate,” suggesting the donation, at the very least, had yet to be finalized.
“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,” he said.
Let’s see where this goes.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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“…ready to accept a _luxury_ Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet…”
The seemingly-mandatory word “luxury” in this context is political editorializing. (As opposed to what: a run-of-the-mill “non-luxury” 747?) It’s like calling something a “luxury yacht”: a redundancy included only to draw attention to (and attempt to class-shame) implied opulence and decadence. It’s a 747. Whatever extra comforts it offers now, above and beyond a typical 747, will probably have to be removed anyway, to make room for all the specialized avionics, communications, and security gear that AF1 must carry. As an airframe, it’s 35 years newer than the current AF1, meaning the 35 years of updates and improvements that were done to the current AF1 after it was built, are all original equipment to the newer aircraft. It will be more reliable, and less expensive to operate and maintain.