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Trump plans to use Qatari 747 as Air Force One

By Reuters
US President Donald Trump disembarks Air Force One. The Qatari 747 is intended to be a replacement Reuters/Nathan Howard
US President Donald Trump disembarks Air Force One. The Qatari 747 is intended to be a replacement

US President Donald Trump’s administration intends to accept a Boeing 747-8 plane as a gift from the Qatari royal family that would be outfitted to serve as Air Force One, according to a source briefed on the matter.

The luxury plane, which would be one of the most valuable gifts ever received by the US government, would eventually be donated to Trump’s presidential library after he leaves office, the source said. A new commercial 747-8 costs approximately $400 million.

In a post on his social media site Truth Social late on Sunday, Trump appeared to confirm the proposal.

“So, the fact that the defense department is getting a Gift, Free of Charge, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, Top Dollar, for the plane,” he wrote.

Democrats and good government advocates said it was unethical and likely to be unconstitutional for Qatar to make such a gift.

“Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X. “It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, “Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump’s administration is committed to full transparency.”

A Qatari spokesperson, Ali Al-Ansari, told the New York Times that the possible transfer of the aircraft was still under consideration and “no decision has been made,” the newspaper reported.

ABC News was first to report the planned gift on Sunday.

Trump has expressed frustration at the delays in delivering two new 747-8 aircraft to serve as an updated Air Force One. During his first term, Trump had reached a deal with Boeing to deliver the jets in 2024. A US Air Force official told Congress last week that Boeing had proposed finishing the planes by 2027.

Trump toured the Qatari-owned 747-8 in February when it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, near his Mar-a-Lago resort.

Trump is set to visit Qatar during a trip to the Middle East this week.

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