A Jet Fit for a King (or a President)
A flying palace? Qatar to gift Trump with a lavish jet
Qatar is gifting Trump a $400 million jet and it may soon serve as Air Force One. Here's why it’s stirring controversy in Washington.


The Trump administration is preparing to accept a lavish Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar, an aircraft sources say will serve as Air Force One during President Donald J. Trump’s second term, before being transferred to his presidential library foundation.
The plane, outfitted with ultra-luxury accommodations and often described as a “flying palace,” represents one of the most expensive gifts ever offered to the United States by a foreign government. The gift is expected to be announced next week, when Trump visits Doha during his first international trip of the term, according to multiple sources familiar with the arrangement.
Trump toured the aircraft in February while it was parked at West Palm Beach International Airport, examining its technology and configuration as he criticized ongoing delays in Boeing’s production of new Air Force One jets ordered under a prior U.S. government contract.
Legal questions surrounding the Qatari gift have been reviewed by the White House Counsel’s Office and the Department of Justice. According to sources familiar with the internal deliberations, a memorandum prepared by Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Counsel David Warrington concluded the arrangement does not violate federal bribery laws or the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, which prohibits U.S. officials from accepting gifts from foreign states without congressional approval.
Officials involved say the aircraft will first be transferred to the U.S. Air Force, which will retrofit it to meet military and security requirements necessary for presidential travel. Under the terms of the arrangement, the plane would remain in use by the administration until no later than Jan. 1, 2029, at which point it would be donated to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation. All costs associated with the transfer and retrofitting of the aircraft are to be covered by the U.S. government.
The Qatari aircraft is estimated to be worth roughly $400 million, not including the additional costs required for secure communications and defensive systems. According to industry experts, the jet was originally configured for private use by members of the Qatari royal family.
The U.S. Air Force’s current fleet of presidential aircraft, two aging Boeing 747-200s, has been in operation since 1990. Their long-awaited replacements, ordered in 2018, have faced repeated delays and budget overruns.
Boeing now estimates the new aircraft will be ready in 2027, two years before the Qatari plane is scheduled to be retired from presidential service.
The arrangement is highly unusual and likely to prompt scrutiny in Washington. While White House and Justice Department officials say it complies with existing law, the optics of accepting such a high-value gift, particularly one destined for a private presidential foundation, could fuel renewed debate over ethical boundaries in executive conduct.
A public employee in Israel is only allowed to accept gifts to the value of 85 New Shekels, equivalent to 22 dollars and 80 cents. When you contrast Qatar's jet to this, it becomes even more alarming.
Both the White House and the Qatari embassy declined to comment on the record.
ABC contributed to this article.
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