President Donald Trump’s administration is considering accepting a Boeing 747-8 aircraft gifted by Qatar’s royal family and using it as the official presidential aircraft ‘Air Force One’ for the President’s air travel, according to reports. The high-end aircraft that Qatar is preparing to gift would be the most expensive gift ever received by a U.S. President in American history. This model of aircraft is priced at approximately over $400 million.
Supporting this idea, Trump stated on social media that instead of the current 40-year-old Air Force One, they are about to receive a Boeing aircraft of this model for free. However, this has drawn criticism from Trump’s opponents. Some have characterized this as both a bribe from a foreign state and an attempt by a foreign country to exert influence over the United States.
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that any gift from a foreign government would be accepted in accordance with relevant laws and that the process would be conducted transparently. Qatar government spokesman Ali al-Ansari said in a statement that discussions are ongoing between Qatar and the U.S. Department of Defense regarding the temporary provision of an aircraft for use as Air Force One, but no decision has been finalized yet.
In addition to opposition parties, some civil society organizations have also expressed concerns about accepting such an expensive gift from a foreign country. Trump is scheduled to begin a trip to Middle Eastern countries this week, including a visit to Qatar. However, some media outlets have reported that the aircraft will not be gifted during this trip.
