Shorouk Express
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox
Get our free Inside Washington email
Get our free Inside Washington email
The Trump administration is preparing to receive what is likely the most valuable gift ever given to the U.S. by a foreign government — a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet owned by Qatar’s royal family, with an estimated value of $400 million.
ABC News reports that the plane will be made available to President Donald Trump to use as the new Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which point it will be transferred to the foundation responsible for the Trump presidential library.
The president has made it no secret that he is tired of waiting for Boeing to produce a new Air Force One to replace the current planes, two modified 747-200 jumbo jets known by the model number VC-25A, which date from 1990.
In February, he said he was “not happy” with the slow progress and cost overruns on the new presidential aircraft, which were ordered in 2018, during his first term.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that the federal government is hiring defense contractor L3Harris to refurbish a Boeing 747 previously used by the Qatari government. It now appears that the plane will be gifted to the U.S. next week during Trump’s first official foreign trip, barring the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome.
ABC’s reporting cites sources familiar with the arrangements.
Trump toured the plane in February when it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport. It is said to be so opulently configured that it has been referred to as a “flying palace.”
open image in gallery
Following reports of the gift on Sunday, the Qataris pushed back, with Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attaché, saying in a statement: “Reports that a jet is being gifted by Qatar to the United States government during the upcoming visit of President Trump are inaccurate.”
“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,” the statement said. “But the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made.”
Meanwhile, the arrangement has set off alarm bells about the legality of accepting such a valuable gift from a foreign government under the Constitution’s emoluments clause, which prohibits any government official from accepting gifts from “any King, Prince or foreign State.” Qatar is a U.S. ally and major diplomatic force in the Middle East.
Sources told ABC News that lawyers for the White House counsel’s office and the Department of Justice drafted an analysis for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that concluded it is legal for the Department of Defense to accept the aircraft as a gift and later turn it over to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
They claim it does not violate bribery laws as it is not conditioned on any official act and is not being given to an individual, but rather to the Air Force and then the Trump library.
open image in gallery
Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House lawyer David Warrington said it would be “legally permissible” for the donation of the aircraft to be conditioned on transferring its ownership to Trump’s presidential library before the end of his term, and not the president, personally, the sources told the network.
They said Bondi provided a legal memorandum on the matter to the White House counsel’s office last week after her advice was sought on the legalities of the gift.
Nevertheless, Democrats and even Trump’s far-right ally Laura Loomer have condemned the reported arrangement.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on X: “Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar. It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.” There were similar allegations from others on social media.
Axios reports that Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York 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, while the Democratic National Committee called it Trump’s “latest grift.”
Loomer also posted her disapproval: “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.”
“The Qataris fund the same Iranian proxies in Hamas and Hezbollah who have murdered U.S. Service Members. The same proxies that have worked with the Mexican cartels to get jihadists across our border,” she continued, pushing a far-right conspiracy theory. “This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true. And I say that as someone who would take a bullet for Trump. I’m so disappointed.”
Any aircraft used to transport the president must meet strict U.S. military specifications, and so the 13-year-old plane will initially be transferred to the Air Force for modifications.
The full scope of modifications is unknown, but existing planes include radiation shielding, a variety of communications systems, and anti-missile technology. Notably, neither the Qatari plane nor the upcoming VC-25B aircraft being built by Boeing will have the air-to-air refueling capabilities of the current presidential plane, allowing it to stay airborne essentially indefinitely and with unlimited range.
open image in gallery
Once modified, Trump will be able to use the aircraft until no later than January 1, 2029, when it will be transferred to the library, less than three weeks before his term ends. The Air Force will pay for any costs relating to its transfer, the sources told ABC News.
Boeing estimated that the new Air Force One planes currently on order will not be ready until 2029. Trump asked Elon Musk to work with them on the project, and an updated timeline of 2027 was given, though the president was insistent that he wants a new plane this year.
Trump will make his first official foreign trip of his second term this coming week, visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, with the focus intended to be on “economic agreements.”
The Trump Organization, run by the president’s two eldest sons, has growing interests in the Middle East. An ethics agreement released by the company in January forbids deals with foreign governments but allows those with private companies.
