During a May 12 press conference, President Donald Trump reportedly said he would be a “stupid person” not to accept the luxury jet being proposed to him as a gift from Qatar.
According to ABC News, the luxury jet is a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet that Trump could temporarily use as Air Force One until near the end of his second term as president of the United States. The gift will reportedly be formally announced next week, though it has already caused controversy. Critics reportedly believe that accepting a major gift from another foreign power would be problematic, inappropriate, unethical, and possibly illegal.
Trump has justified accepting the plane by noting that the luxury jet from Qatar would actually be a gift to the Department of Defense (DoD). On his social media platform, Truth Social, he said Qatar is giving the DoD the aircraft “free of charge.” In that same post, he added that the move would be “in a very public and transparent transaction.”
Per Forbes, the president noted during his May 12 press conference that the private jet will be donated to his presidential library foundation near the end of his administration. Trump reportedly claimed he “wouldn’t be using” the luxury jet from Qatar after his presidency. Moreover, the U.S. president allegedly called the gift a “great gesture.”
What Else Is There To Know About The Luxury Jet Gifted From Qatar To The Trump Administration?
In February, Trump reportedly toured the Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet at the West Palm Beach International Airport. The $400 million aircraft is allegedly nicknamed the “flying palace.”
Several reports claim the plane is a gift from Qatar’s royal family. However, in addition to relaying that information, CNN reported that a Qatari official claimed the luxury jet is a gift from the Qatari Ministry of Defense to the Pentagon.
Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attaché to the U.S., 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.”
Questions and details remain regarding the legality of the DoD accepting the luxury jet from Qatar. Even if the Trump administration accepts the plane, it will need to be extensively retrofitted before it can be used as Air Force One.
Notably, in a statement to ABC News, 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.”
Trump is scheduled to visit Qatar later this month.
