Trump Confirms Qatar Giving U.S. Luxury Boeing Jet ‘Free of Charge’..w/update

[mystery-ak]

Trump Confirms Qatar Giving U.S. Luxury Boeing Jet ‘Free of Charge’

Elizabeth Weibel 11 May 2025

President Donald Trump confirmed that Qatar is giving the United States a luxury Boeing 747 jet “free of charge,” which will temporarily replace Air Force One.

“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,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA.”

While reports have surfaced regarding the Trump administration reportedly preparing to accept the luxury Boeing 747 plane from Qatar, Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s Media Attaché to the U.S. issued a statement describing the reports as “inaccurate” and said the “possible transfer of an aircraft” to temporarily serve as Air Force One was “under consideration.”

“Reports that a jet is being gifted by Qatar to the United States government during the upcoming visit of President Trump are inaccurate,” Al-Ansari said. “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 US Department of Defense, but the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made.”

more
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/05/11/trump-confirms-qatar-giving-u-s-luxury-boeing-jet-free-charge/

[mystery-ak]

 House Democrat demands ethics review of Qatari jet gift to Trump
by Sarah Fortinsky - 05/12/25 8:29 AM ET

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) on Sunday called for an ethics review of the Trump administration’s plans to accept a luxury jet from the Qatari government for temporary use as the official Air Force One, before it’s transferred to President Trump’s presidential library for personal use.

In a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) comptroller general, the Defense Department (DOD) acting inspector general, and the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) acting director, Torres expressed concern that the luxury plane, which he said has an estimated value of $400 million, “would constitute the most valuable gift ever conferred on a president by a foreign government.”

“The American people are witnessing, in real time, what can only be described as a ‘flying grift,’” Torres wrote in the letter.

Torres criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi for giving “the Department of Justice’s seal of approval to a transaction that flagrantly violates both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause,” which prohibits individuals holding public office from accepting gifts from foreign officials.

“No one — not even President Trump — is above the law, let alone the Constitution,” he wrote.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5295249-trump-qatar-jet-air-force-one/

[DefiantMassRINO]

Got emoluments?

[verga]

House Democrat demands ethics review of Qatari jet gift to Trump
by Sarah Fortinsky - 05/12/25 8:29 AM ET

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) on Sunday called for an ethics review of the Trump administration’s plans to accept a luxury jet from the Qatari government for temporary use as the official Air Force One, before it’s transferred to President Trump’s presidential library for personal use.

In a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) comptroller general, the Defense Department (DOD) acting inspector general, and the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) acting director, Torres expressed concern that the luxury plane, which he said has an estimated value of $400 million, “would constitute the most valuable gift ever conferred on a president by a foreign government.”

“The American people are witnessing, in real time, what can only be described as a ‘flying grift,’” Torres wrote in the letter.

Torres criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi for giving “the Department of Justice’s seal of approval to a transaction that flagrantly violates both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause,” which prohibits individuals holding public office from accepting gifts from foreign officials.

“No one — not even President Trump — is above the law, let alone the Constitution,” he wrote.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5295249-trump-qatar-jet-air-force-one/

I am confused, seriously. Are they giving it to Trump personally, or is it a gift to the US?

[Wingnut]

I am confused, seriously. Are they giving it to Trump personally, or is it a gift to the US?

Supposedly to Trump for display at his Library after he leaves office.  Gifts, small and large, have to be approved by congress. 

[corbe]

Trump: I’d be a ‘stupid person’ saying no to Qatari plane

by Alex Gangitano - 05/12/25 11:25 AM ET

President Trump on Monday called it “stupid” for him to turn down the gift of a luxury Boeing jet from Qatar, praising the free present from the Arab nation as a “great gesture.”

Boeing has had a contract with the U.S. government to deliver a new Air Force One jet but it’s been faced with a host of delays.

The president told reporters at the White House that the Qataris knew that the delivery date of a new Air Force One jet was delayed and that they wanted to help out because “we’ve helped them a lot over the years in terms of security and safety.”

“They said, ‘we would like to do something’ and if we can get a 747 as a contribution to our Defense Department to use during a couple of years while they’re building the other ones, I think that was a very nice gesture,” Trump said.

<..snip..>

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5295507-trump-qatar-air-force-one/

[cato potatoe]

Trump: I’d be a ‘stupid person’ saying no to Qatari plane

[Timber Rattler]

Qatari planes, eh?  Do they blow up?

And what's wrong with the current AF1 jet?

[Wingnut]

And what's wrong with the current AF1 jet?

They are still trying to get the Biden shit stink out of it.

[mountaineer]

And what's wrong with the current AF1 jet?

It's over 40 years old and maintenance is a problem, I understand.

[mystery-ak]

 What we know about the luxury jet Qatar plans to give to Trump
by Sarah Fortinsky - 05/12/25 3:19 PM ET

President Trump confirmed reports Sunday that his administration is planning to accept a luxury jet, a Boeing 747-8, from the Qatari government.

Trump insisted the gift would be received by the Defense Department “in a very public and transparent transaction,” as he pushed back on criticism from Democrats who described the arrangement as a grift.

The luxury jet would temporarily replace Air Force One and then be transferred over to the Trump presidential library at the end of his term. Boeing has had a contract with the U.S. government to deliver a new Air Force One jet, but it’s been faced with a host of delays.

News of the deal, first reported by ABC News, has sparked a range of responses from lawmakers and media pundits.

And Trump has continued to double down on his defense of the deal.

Here’s the latest on Qatari plans to gift a luxury jet to the Trump administration:

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5296040-trump-qatar-gift-triggers-controversy/

[mystery-ak]

 Loomer: Qatari jet gift a ‘stain’ on Trump presidency
by Elizabeth Crisp - 05/12/25 9:35 AM ET

Conservative provocateur Laura Loomer, who has been a staunch supporter of President Trump, called him out over the weekend as the White House prepares to receive a $400 million Boeing jet from the Qatari government.

“I love President Trump. I would take a bullet for him,” Loomer wrote in a post on the social platform X. “But, I have to call a spade a spade. We cannot accept a $400 million ‘gift’ from jihadists in suits.”

“This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true,” Loomer said.

“I’m so disappointed.”

Trump confirmed reporting that Qatar’s royal family plans to give a Boeing 747-8 airplane to the Department of Defense to replace the aging Air Force One while he’s in office. According to ABC News, which first reported the plans, the plane will be transferred to Trump’s presidential library when he leaves office. The gift is expected to be formally announced when Trump travels to the Middle East this week.

Loomer, who has faced backlash in the past for spreading anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric, blasted the arrangement as a move that would run contrary to the push to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a “terrorist organization.”

“It’s going to be hard for the admin to designate the Muslim Brotherhood and obliterate Iranian proxies in Hamas and Hezbollah when Qatar funds the Muslim Brotherhood, harbors HAMAS, and the US just accepted a $400 million jet from Qatar,” Loomer wrote. “The biggest lobby in DC is the Qatar lobby. We are watching an Islamic takeover of our country in real time.”

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/5295240-laura-loomer-criticizes-trump-qatari-gift/

[catfish1957]

Stay away from  democratic habits Mr. Trump.   

[mystery-ak]

Jeffries targets Trump over Qatari jet gift, citing ‘Wannabe Kings’
by Sarah Fortinsky - 05/12/25 4:13 PM ET

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) derided President Trump as a “wannabe” king after the president confirmed plans to accept a luxury jet from the Qatari government.

“Wannabe Kings accept corrupt gifts from foreign powers. Not the President,” Jeffries wrote in a post on the social platform X, responding to reporting from ABC News that Trump was planning to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar.

The president subsequently confirmed the reporting that Qatar would gift the Defense Department the luxury jet, which would be available for Trump to use as Air Force One through the end of his term, at which point it would be transferred to the Trump presidential library.

Jeffries hinted that Congress should take action in response to the latest transaction.

“Prohibiting members of Congress from stock trading is clearly not the only thing we must address this year,” the Democratic leader added.

Other Democrats have similarly piled on criticism in response to news of the gift.

Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are trying to force a vote on a measure “to reiterate a basic principle: no one should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts.” And Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) called for an ethics review in response to reports of the plans to gift the luxury plane.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5296168-trump-accepts-qatar-gift-trump/

[mountaineer]

“Wannabe Kings accept corrupt gifts from foreign powers. Not the President,” Jeffries wrote in a post on the social platform X, responding to reporting from ABC News that Trump was planning to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar.

But it's not a gift to Trump the Wannabe King if it's going to the Defense Department, Hakeem.

No, I'm not defending the donation, because it probably isn't a good look even if Trump doesn't personally benefit, but I'm so tired of people completely misrepresenting the facts.

[MeganC]

And what's wrong with the current AF1 jet?

The biggest problem is that due to 'scope creep' Boeing has lost over two billion dollars on the replacements for AF1 (two aircraft fulfill this role) and they may never be delivered.

They were supposed to be done by now.

The two existing aircraft are from 1990 and they are overdue for retirement.

I imagine if the Qatari 747 is refused Trump might insist on using his own plane instead of using the official planes.

 

[mountaineer]

FWIW:

@amuse
@amuse

Air Force One, Courtesy of Qatar: Constitutional and Cost-Saving
The modern American left is allergic to legality when it does not serve their narrative. Case in point: the apoplexy over President Donald J. Trump’s acceptance of a $1 billion Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar. This aircraft, originally outfitted as a "flying palace," has been offered as a gift to the United States government for temporary use as an interim Air Force One, with the condition that it later be donated to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation. Pundits clutch their pearls, invoking the Emoluments Clause, bribery statutes, and vague notions of impropriety. But their argument is not only unsound, it is unserious.

The aircraft is not a gift to Trump personally, and therein lies the constitutional linchpin. The Department of the Air Force will accept the plane, retrofit it for presidential use, and once the newly delayed Boeing VC-25B is finally delivered, sometime near the end of Trump’s second term, the aircraft will be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation, and eventually to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), as mandated by the Presidential Libraries Act.

This transaction is not a violation of law, it is an expression of prudence. Boeing’s chronic inability to deliver the new Air Force One aircraft, initially contracted in 2018, has left the president dependent on aging 747-200s from the early 1990s. Trump could have burdened the American taxpayer with an emergency purchase of a stopgap jet, but he chose the more fiscally responsible route: accept a gift on behalf of the American people.

The legality is rooted in clear statutory and constitutional footing. First, 10 U.S.C. §2601 authorizes the Secretary of Defense to accept gifts, including personal property, provided they are not designated for a specific individual. In fact, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth postponed his scheduled diplomatic trip to Israel this week in order to remain available to accept the gift during President Trump’s visit to Qatar. The jet, in this case, is being given to the Air Force, not to Trump. There is no private enrichment.

Second, the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act (5 U.S.C. §7342) provides congressional consent for public officials to accept gifts on behalf of the United States, so long as those gifts are not retained for personal use. The aircraft, during its operational life, will be used exclusively for official government purposes. Afterward, it becomes part of a presidential library, an educational institution run in conjunction with NARA. The chain of custody is public from start to finish.

Critics invoke the Emoluments Clause of Article I, Section 9, as if it were a magic incantation. But the clause prohibits personal acceptance of gifts from foreign states without congressional consent. When the gift is accepted by the US government and used in the public interest, it falls outside the clause’s scope. Legal scholars across ideological lines, including Jonathan Adler and past opinions from the Office of Legal Counsel, affirm this interpretation.

Bribery laws are equally inapplicable. The federal bribery statute, 18 U.S.C. §201, requires a quid pro quo, a thing of value exchanged for an official act. But the Qatar donation contains no such bargain. There is no evidence, even from the fevered imagination of Trump’s critics, that any official act was offered in return. It is a goodwill gesture, legally vetted and structurally sound.

Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Counsel David Warrington have issued legal opinions affirming that the arrangement is permissible. Bondi’s memo emphasizes that the jet is not a personal gift and that its transfer to a future presidential library, which will itself become government property, further insulates the transaction from constitutional concern. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth concurred after a thorough legal analysis.

The historical precedents are also worth noting. In 2001, the Air Force transferred the decommissioned Boeing 707 known as SAM 27000 to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. That aircraft had served as Air Force One under multiple presidents. It was turned into a museum exhibit, open to the public, and maintained through a private endowment. The Trump library will follow the same procedure. That Reagan’s plane was American-built and Trump’s is a foreign gift is irrelevant. Once accepted by the Air Force, the Qatar 747 becomes government property, indistinguishable in legal status from any other.

If anything, this gesture is a net benefit to the United States. Taxpayers save hundreds of millions, the president has a safe and modern aircraft to use, and in time, the public gains a historic artifact displayed for educational purposes. Only those politically motivated to hate Trump could object.

It is precisely this kind of clear-headed stewardship that Americans voted for in 2024. Trump didn’t cave to bureaucratic inertia or Boeing’s delays. He acted. He found a solution. And he did so within the full bounds of law and constitutional propriety.
Let the Democrats and their media allies fume. The law is not on their side, and neither is the logic. Trump accepted a plane not for himself but for the country. And when he is done using it to serve the nation, it will be handed over, as all such gifts should be, to the American people.

12:22 PM · May 11, 2025

[Right_in_Virginia]

Wouldn't it be nice if someone, anyone, stepped up and demanded Boeing meet its commitment to the US Department of Defense?  How about slapping some penalties on the corporation until and unless they do?

The DOD has been waiting seven damn years for the plane.

[mystery-ak]

 Senate GOP weighs safety, legal concerns over Trump Qatar jet gift
by Al Weaver - 05/12/25 7:12 PM ET

Senate Republicans on Monday indicated they have multiple concerns with President Trump potentially being gifted a new luxury jet from Qatar, ranging from safety to legal and ethical worries.

Trump on Monday defended his potential acceptance of a new Boeing 747-8 airplane from the government of Qatar to serve as a replacement for the current pair of Air Force One aircraft, saying that it would be “stupid” not to do so.

But Senate Republicans made clear they are uneasy about the potential arrangement for a multitude of reasons, including over Qatar’s alliances in the region.

“I’m not flying on a Qatari plane. They support Hamas,” said Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), an ardent Trump supporter. “I don’t know how you make it safe.”

“‘Gosh, let me give you a plane.’ I mean, that seems pretty nice, but they support Hamas, so I don’t know. I don’t know how you make it safe,” Scott continued, declining to say what Trump should do as the decision is up to him. “I don’t want the president of the United States flying on an unsafe plane.”

Some Republicans also seemed worried about the president flying on an aircraft that was purchased by another nation-state.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5296559-trump-qatar-jet-senate-gop/

[corbe]

   Just as Pakistan shielded bin laden so too does Qatar shield hamas most powerful leaders. 


   So Trump can one up President Reagan and have a plane in his library. 

[catfish1957]

Wouldn't it be nice if someone, anyone, stepped up and demanded Boeing meet its commitment to the US Department of Defense?  How about slapping some penalties on the corporation until and unless they do?

The DOD has been waiting seven damn years for the plane.

Agree.  This would have been much better optics though if this had been a rental or a lease, until the new AF1 was built.

4 years of the big guy's ultimate graft, just makes my stomach turn when there is even a whisper that we aren't doing this on the up and up;

[NavyCanDo]

Qatari planes, eh?  Do they blow up?

And what's wrong with the current AF1 jet?

The two current Air Force Ones are747-200, in service 35 years. Airplanes, even the ones you fly require replacement parts frequently.  They stopped manufacturing the replacement parts for the 747-200, making it very difficult and expensive to maintain. Parts have to be custom built. And why Obama  authorized the replacement, and we are still waiting. The earliest Boeing can deliver the first of the two is 2027. Even before Qatar offered this there was discussion within the DOD of buying a used 747-8 to use in the interim.   Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.   Just have to make the clarification it belongs to the DOD not Trump.

[DCPatriot]

Are you serious???  With the technology today?  G.T.F.O.

No freaking way I would utilize a proposed "Air Force One" gifted by a Muslim country.

[BobfromWB]

Qatari planes, eh?  Do they blow up?

And what's wrong with the current AF1 jet?

Its 35 years old, maintenance is very costly with parts hard to find.

[BobfromWB]

Turning Qatar’s Gifted 747 Into Air Force One Will Be Anything But Free

Trump rightly said only “a stupid person” would turn down the free Qatari jet, but transforming it into Air Force One for a few years of service doesn’t appear realistic.
https://www.twz.com/air/turning-qatars-gifted-747-into-air-force-one-will-be-anything-but-free

Cost of conversion likely to be more than $400 million and will only see service for 2 years at best.

[mystery-ak]

House Democrat calls for 'immediate' ethics probe of Qatari plane gift to Trump
The $400-million jet has been called a 'palace in the sky'
By Anders Hagstrom Fox News
Published May 12, 2025 7:08am EDT | Updated May 12, 2025 9:26am EDT

A Democratic congressman is calling for an ethics investigation over President Donald Trump's plans to accept a $400 million jet from Qatar that would temporarily serve as Air Force One before being allotted to Trump's presidential library after he leaves office.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., wrote to the Government Accountability Office on Sunday, noting that the plane would be the single most expensive gift ever received by a U.S. president. Torres derided the deal as a "flying grift," arguing it violates the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which "explicitly prohibits any person holding public office from accepting ‘any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.'"

"I am writing to express alarm over reports that President Donald Trump is poised to accept a luxury aircraft — a Boeing 747-8 — from the government of Qatar. The plane, so opulent it has been described as a ‘palace in the sky,’ is set to be made available to President Trump for official use as Air Force One and then for private use once he leaves office," Torres wrote.

"This ‘flying grift’ is merely the latest chapter in a tawdry tale of presidential profiteering unprecedented in American history," Torres added.

more
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-democrat-calls-immediate-ethics-probe-qatari-plane-gift-trump

[mountaineer]

arguing it violates the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which "explicitly prohibits any person holding public office from accepting ‘any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.'"

Except Qatar is making a gift to the U.S. government, not Trump personally. Irrespective of the wisdom of accepting such a gift of a terrorism-supporting state, this argument just doesn't fly.

[MeganC]

Supposedly to Trump for display at his Library after he leaves office.  Gifts, small and large, have to be approved by congress.

That's not a personal gift to Donald Trump. It is a gift first to the Department of Defense and then to the Trump Presidential Library. Presidential libraries in the United States are administered by the Office of Presidential Libraries, which is part of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/DefiyantlyFree/status/1923098990666449204

[mystery-ak]

Senator Markwayne Mullin Just Tossed a Big Ol' Wrench Into the Media Freak Out Over Trump’s Qatar Plane
By Rusty Weiss | 7:53 AM on May 16, 2025

Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) may have thrown a grenade into the media and Democrats' freakout over the Qatar plane controversy surrounding President Trump.

Why? According to the Senate Armed Services Committee member, negotiations to accept the plane for use as a temporary Air Force One until the new Boeing models arrive actually began under the previous administration.

Mullin appeared with CNN's Jake Tapper and was grilled on whether he had any concerns about Attorney General Pam Bondi's memo endorsing the legality of accepting the luxury jet. He dismissed it as a non-controversy.

“The real question is, Jake, why is this an issue?” Mullin asked. "Could you explain to me why this is a big issue? Because I can't figure it out.”

“The last time I checked, we were okay when France gave us the Statue of Liberty."

Tapper countered that Congress authorized the acceptance of the Statue and promptly played the 'I'm not the one saying it's an issue; it's these others' card. The two argued back and forth on the matter before Mullin dropped what would amount to a bombshell.

“What the media isn't telling you and what no one's talking to you about is this same 747 has been in negotiations for a year,” Mullin revealed. “The Biden administration is the one that started these conversations.”

"It didn't start in the Trump administration. Why? Because we need a backup for Air Force One. Because right now, the President of the United States is flying around on a 40-year-old plane and there is no backup for it."

Mullin reiterated his initial point.

"No one is discussing that part. They're discussing that the deal ended with President Trump," the senator continued. "Maybe the media doesn't know."

Mullin added that he might give the media and Tapper a pass for not knowing that information, but "this conversation started with Qatar, with Biden a year ago."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nat1KjTj4wk&ab_channel=ErikDeLaGarza

more
https://redstate.com/rusty-weiss/2025/05/16/senator-markwayne-mullin-just-tossed-a-wrench-into-the-media-freak-out-over-trumps-qatar-plane-n2189165

[Canuck Conservative]

“The real question is, Jake, why is this an issue?” Mullin asked

Because it looks like a personal bribe from a thug country

(the plane is being given to Trump personally - NOT to America and its people, like the Statue of Liberty was)

[DefiantMassRINO]

Sure, the plane isn't given to Trump, but he's the only one who gets to use it at taxpayer expense.

That's like John Kerry saying he doesn't personally own anyprivate jets, yatchs, or mansions ... because they are owned and sheltered by Trusts, LLC's, and other umbrella legal constructs.

[mystery-ak]

Qatar's Gift to Trump Is Unsold Plane It's Been Trying to Dump for Years
Published May 15, 2025 at 6:07 AM EDT
Updated May 15, 2025 at 1:06 PM EDT




The Boeing 747-8 being offered to U.S. President Donald Trump by Qatar once served the Qatari royal family and has been sitting unsold for years.

The jet, a lavishly configured version of Boeing's largest passenger aircraft, has been lingering without a buyer since being put up for sale in 2020, according to aircraft listings and aviation analysts.


Why It Matters

Trump has publicly expressed frustration with Boeing's yearslong delay in delivering two modified 747s for presidential use. The president has argued that by accepting Qatar's offer, he can bypass delays and save U.S. taxpayers money. Critics, however, fear that the acceptance would be unethical and even unconstitutional.

To meet Air Force One standards, the plane would need extensive modifications, including secure communications, nuclear blast shielding and missile defense systems.


What To Know

The aircraft was commissioned for Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, Qatar's former prime minister, and delivered in 2012 at a list price of $367 million—not including the interior, which likely cost tens of millions of dollars.

The customized interior, designed by Paris-based Cabinet Pinto, features sycamore and wacapou wood finishes, silk fabrics and space for 89 passengers in a configuration that includes two bedrooms and entertainment and meeting rooms.

Despite its luxury interior, the plane has failed to find a buyer since being put on the market in 2020, according to a report from Forbes.

The Qatar Amiri Flight, which manages the royal family's aircraft, still retains a fleet of similar planes. One of the two other 747-8s appears inactive, and a similar jet was gifted to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2018 after failing to sell.

Ben Schlappig, writing in the aviation blog One Mile at a Time in 2020, said the aircraft offered to Trump had flown 1,069 hours since its delivery in 2012, averaging about two hours per week.

John Goglia, a former member of the National Transportation Safety Board, told Forbes that giving the 747-8 to the U.S. would allow the Qataris to avoid maintenance costs that were only getting higher—with the 747 fleet shrinking worldwide and fewer mechanics available who know how to work on them.

more
https://www.newsweek.com/qatar-gift-trump-unsold-plane-2072564

[DefiantMassRINO]

Does Trump know he's getting a hand-me-down, 2nd hand, pre-owned plane?  The only thing that could make it worse was if the plane was bought on lay-a-way at a flea market on consignment.

Wouldn't it be embarassing for a rich ba$tid to be flying a plane from the bargain bin?

[MeganC]

(the plane is being given to Trump personally - NOT to America and its people, like the Statue of Liberty was)

This is flat out wrong. Stop watching CNN.

[Cyber Liberty]

(the plane is being given to Trump personally - NOT to America and its people, like the Statue of Liberty was)

Wrong. 

[MeganC]

Does Trump know he's getting a hand-me-down, 2nd hand, pre-owned plane?  The only thing that could make it worse was if the plane was bought on lay-a-way at a flea market on consignment.

Wouldn't it be embarassing for a rich ba$tid to be flying a plane from the bargain bin?

The 747's currently operated by the USAF have been used by Bush 1, Clinton, Bush 2, Obama, Trump, Biden, and Trump again.

They are arguably well past being second hand.

They're also not due for the bargain bin they're overdue for permanent retirement.

[Canuck Conservative]

"Why is Trump risking everything he’s worked so hard for just to have a few more shiny baubles and trinkets?

Exhibit A is his eagerness for America to accept a $400 million jet from the kingdom of Qatar for use as Air Force One while in office.

After that, the jumbo “palace in the sky” would become the property of his presidential library, where it presumably would be reserved for his use.

If that were all, the gift would be questionable but defensible, given the long delays in Boeing fulfilling its contract to build a new presidential plane when the current fleet is about 40 years old.

Trump’s reasoning is blunt: “I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer,” he told reporters.

“I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’ But it was, I thought it was a great gesture.”

Unfortunately, the Qatari jet is only one of a handful of decisions that suggest the seal of the presidency has dollar signs on it.

Trump and his family have businesses — golf courses, hotels and/or towers — in each of the three Arab countries he’s visiting this week, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

These are not free-market economies.

They are monarchies, where the ruling families wield absolute power to grant favors and licenses...."

https://nypost.com/2025/05/13/opinion/michael-goodwin-trump-accepting-financial-gifts-from-qatar-is-one-of-the-many-ways-he-can-ruin-his-legacy/

[MeganC]

"Why is Trump risking everything he’s worked so hard for just to have a few more shiny baubles and trinkets?

Exhibit A is his eagerness for America to accept a $400 million jet from the kingdom of Qatar for use as Air Force One while in office.

After that, the jumbo “palace in the sky” would become the property of his presidential library, where it presumably would be reserved for his use.

No, dammit, it will not be at Trump's library and reserved for his use any more than Reagan's AF1 was at the Reagan Library and reserved for Reagan's use while Reagan was alive.

Stop it. Just stop.

[mystery-ak]

Republican says Biden started controversial negotiations for backup Air Force One
'This conversation started with Qatar with Biden a year ago' – Sen. Markwayne Mullin
By Charles Creitz Fox News
Published May 16, 2025 3:50pm EDT

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., recently claimed that widely-criticized negotiations with Qatar over a $400 million Air Force One temporary replacement gift began under the Biden administration – not after President Donald Trump took office.

"What no one is talking about is [that] this same 747 has been in negotiations for a year," Mullin said on CNN Wednesday.

"The Biden administration is the one that started these conversations. It didn't start underneath the Trump administration – why? Because we need a back-up for Air Force One."

Mullin said there is no current backup plane for Air Force One, which is about 40 years old. A recent backup was retired from service due to "structural issues," the senator said.

"The fact is, this conversation started with Qatar with Biden a year ago," he said.

Mullin had been privy to a recent conversation with the Qataris when the information about the Biden administration's reported role was gleaned, according to a spokesperson.

Mullin said he would give the media "a pass" for not knowing about the reported Biden-era negotiations with the Doha government.

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani dismissed the controversy in an interview with Fox News’ "Special Report," noting that his country had originally purchased the plane from "an American company"—Boeing.

"I don't see a point out of this [debate]," al-Thani said, adding it is a "really unfair accusation that Qatar is trying to buy influence."

For his part, Trump has pushed back on claims of corrupt intent in potentially accepting the gift from Doha on behalf of the U.S.

He rejected allegations from Democrats like Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York, who complained to the Government Accountability office that the deal is a "flying grift" and violates the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause prohibiting public officers from accepting presents or titles from royalty or foreign governments.

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republican-says-biden-started-controversial-negotiations-backup-air-force-one