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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.”
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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.
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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.
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.
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.
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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.
