Trump Administration Weighs Accepting $400M Jet From Qatar

The Trump administration is reportedly considering accepting a Boeing 747-8 from Qatar’s royal family as a temporary Air Force One, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Reuters reported that the 12-year-old luxury jet, valued at around $400m, would be one of the most valuable gifts ever received by the US government.

Plans indicate the plane would eventually be transferred to Trump’s presidential library after his term in office.

“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.

The potential gift has sparked backlash from Democratic lawmakers and ethics organizations, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calling it an example of “foreign influence with extra legroom.”

Critics have raised concerns that accepting the Qatari plane could violate the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, which prohibits US officials from accepting gifts from foreign governments without congressional approval.

In response, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that any potential gift would be handled in compliance with all legal requirements, adding that the administration is committed to transparency.

Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense are reportedly in talks, though Qatari spokesperson Ali Al-Ansari stressed that no final decision had been made.

The idea surfaced due to delays in the delivery of two new Boeing 747-8s ordered during Trump’s first term, which are now expected to arrive in 2027.

Trump reportedly toured the Qatari aircraft earlier this year in West Palm Beach, Florida. While the plane’s transfer is not expected during his upcoming Qatar visit, sources indicated that White House and Department of Justice legal teams have prepared analyses supporting the move’s constitutionality.

Ethics watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has questioned the legality of the arrangement, citing Trump’s past business ties in the region.