The Trump administration is preparing to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 aircraft from the royal family of Qatar, an aircraft estimated to be worth Ksh51.6 billion ($400 million).
The plane will be the most extravagant gift ever received by the United States from a foreign government.
According to sources at the White House, the aircraft dubbed a “flying palace” for its lavish interiors, will temporarily serve as Air Force One during President Trump’s second term.
However, ultimately, it will be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
The announcement is expected during Trump’s upcoming visit to Qatar, his first foreign trip of the term.
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Details of the Qatar Aircraft
The aircraft, a 13-year-old Boeing 747-8, has been parked at West Palm Beach International Airport since February, where President Trump personally toured it.
The plane’s opulent interior reportedly surpasses standard presidential transport, hence its nickname.
However, legal experts and ethics watchdogs are already raising questions about the legality and precedent of a sitting president accepting such a valuable gift from a foreign power.
They have argued that the gift will later benefit Trump’s personal legacy institution.
Further, sources told ABC News that attorneys from the White House Counsel’s Office and the Department of Justice prepared a legal review, presented to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The review concludes that the Department of Defence may legally accept the aircraft on behalf of the U.S. government and later transfer it to the Trump Library Foundation without violating anti-bribery statutes or the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause.
The clause prohibits U.S. officials from accepting gifts from foreign states.
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Air Force to Modify and Transfer Jet
The aircraft will first be handed over to the U.S. Air Force, which has already commissioned defence contractor L3Harris to modify the plane with the necessary security and communications modifications required for presidential travel.
According to the arrangement, the aircraft will be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation no later than January 1, 2029.
Moreover, any costs associated with the plane’s transfer or retrofitting will be covered by the U.S. government through the Air Force.
Also, the deal would mark the first time in history that a U.S. president has accepted a foreign aircraft for temporary official use and later redirected it to their personal presidential foundation
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