Qatari Plane Will Be ‘Unconditional Gift’ to US, Says Agreement

Trump announced in May that he would accept the plane from Qatar.

A 13-year-old private Boeing aircraft that President Donald Trump toured to check out new hardware and technology features, takes off from Palm Beach International Airport, Fla., on Feb. 16, 2025. Ben Curtis/AP Photo

Qatar’s gift of a plane that will be used as Air Force One will be an “unconditional gift” to the United States, according to an agreement between Washington and the Gulf state.

“This donation is made in good faith and in the spirit of cooperation and mutual support between the parties,” the agreement states, according to CNN.

“Nothing in this MoU is, or shall be interpreted or construed as, an offer, promise, or acceptance of any form of bribery, undue influence, or corrupt practice.”

The agreement was signed on July 7 by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Qatar’s deputy prime minister and minister of state for defense affairs.

Trump announced in May that he would accept the plane from Qatar, which he visited that month.

“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,” he posted on Truth Social at the time.

The plane will be converted to be a temporary Air Force One, at a cost of under $400 million, while Boeing works on building the new and permanent presidential plane.

The Qatari aircraft will then be transferred to Trump’s presidential library.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in May called the gift “corrupt” and a “grave national security threat.”

“Accepting a free plane from Qatar isn’t just outrageous, it’s corruption, plain and simple,” Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) also wrote on X at the time.

“The Emoluments Clause of the Constitution leaves no room for doubt: no president may accept so much as a single benefit, payment, or favor from a foreign government without first obtaining the explicit consent of Congress.

“Anything less is a flagrant violation of the president’s oath of office and a profound betrayal of the public’s trust.”

That emoluments clause reads: “No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.”

“Corruption in plain sight. This isn’t just unethical—it’s a bribe,” Rep. Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.) said on X in May.

“Trump’s acceptance of this plane is blatantly illegal, a national security risk, and a clear conflict of interest. The Constitution forbids it.”

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.