U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to accept a $400 million luxury jet, dubbed a “palace in the sky,” as a gift from the Qatar royal family.
The Trump administration is gearing up to accept the Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet, which will serve as the new Air Force One, after modifications.
The luxury jet will also be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation when Trump leaves office, sources told ABC News.
Highlights
- Qatar's royal family reportedly plans to gift Trump a $400 million Boeing 747-8 jet to serve temporarily as Air Force One.
- The luxury jet will transfer to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation after Trump leaves office.
- Critics claim the gift could influence Trump’s Middle East policies amid his family's ongoing business ties in the region.
The luxury jet will reportedly be transferred when Trump leaves office
Image credits: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Confirming the gift on social media, Trump said it was a public and transparent transaction.
“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. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
It is estimated that the jet would be the most expensive gift from a foreign government in U.S. history, according to The New York Times, and it has raised ethics concerns.
Generally, federal officeholders, including the president, are prohibited from accepting any gift, payment, or other benefits from a foreign power without explicit consent from Congress under the U.S. Constitution’s Emoluments Clause.
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.”
But sources told ABC News that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was presented with a legal analysis from White House and Department of Justice lawyers.
It concluded that accepting the gift and later transferring it to the Trump library did not violate laws and was legal.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House counsel David Warrington said it would be “legally permissible” for the acceptance of the jet to be contingent upon ownership being transferred to the Trump library before his term ends, the sources said.
Image credits: The White House
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws.
“President Trump’s administration is committed to full transparency.”
This week, Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attaché to the U.S., said the reports of a jet being gifted during Trump’s visit were inaccurate.
“Reports that a jet is being gifted by Qatar to the United States government during the upcoming visit of President Trump are inaccurate,” he said.
“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.”
Qatari officials say no decision on gifting the jet has been made yet
Image credits: NurPhoto via Getty Images
The luxury jet is estimated to cost about $400 million, but it will be modified by the United States Air Force to meet U.S. military specifications, ABC News reported.
After changes are made to make it fit to carry the U.S. president, the Air Force will reportedly pick up transfer costs for it to be handed over to the Trump library, no later than 2029.
“Nothing says 'America First' like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar,” Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer posted on X.
“It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.”
Advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington described the gift as “unprecedented.”
“The totality of gifts given to a president over their term doesn’t get close to this level,” communications director Jordan Libowitz told AP.
“You have to ask, if he makes foreign policy—especially in regards to the Middle East—how much is he being influenced by his gifts and his business deals.”
Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, now run The Trump Organization, which is continuing to pursue projects in the Middle East.
As well as operating domestic commercial real estate, the company runs golf courses and hotels in the U.S., Scotland, Ireland, and the United Arab Emirates.
Image credits: WUSA9
And the company has partnered with real estate company Qatari Diar for a new deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar.
Critics have raised concerns about the business dealings, considering Trump’s role in shaping U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
But Trump officials have rejected concerns that Trump’s policy decisions overlap with his family’s business interests, AP reports.
The Trump Organization cannot strike deals directly with foreign governments, as per a voluntary ethics agreement released by the company in January, and Trump’s children manage his assets in a trust.
On Friday, Leavitt was asked if Trump would meet anyone tied to the family company, to which she responded it was “ridiculous” to suggest Trump “is doing anything for his own benefit.”