The president said the plane would be used temporarily.
President Donald Trump on May 11 said the United States is receiving a plane from Qatar that will be used as the new 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,” Trump
wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform.
Trump told reporters at an unrelated press conference on Monday that Boeing is taking longer than expected to produce new planes for the government, including an aircraft that will become the new Air Force One. Qatari officials learned of the situation and offered to help, he said.
Trump called the offer “a very nice gesture,” adding later, “I could be a stupid person and say, ‘we don’t want a free plane.’”
Boeing did not return a request for comment.
ABC News reported over the weekend that the president was preparing to accept a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the Qatari royal family to be reconfigured and introduced as the new Air Force One, and used for the rest of Trump’s term. Qatari officials
said on Sunday that “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 U.S. Department of Defense.”
“But the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made,” they added.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said before Trump’s post that “any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws.”
Some Democrats raised concerns about the possible gift.
“Accepting a free plane from Qatar isn’t just outrageous, it’s corruption, plain and simple,” Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.)
wrote on the social media platform X. “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.”
The clause states, “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,”
added Rep. Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.). “Trump’s acceptance of this plane is blatantly illegal, a national security risk, and a clear conflict of interest. The Constitution forbids it.”
