ABC News reported on Sunday that the Trump administration was preparing to accept a Boeing 747-8 from the Qatari royal family for use as Air Force One until shortly before President Donald Trump leaves office, an aircraft estimated to be worth about $400 million and described by the report as likely the most valuable gift ever extended to the United States by a foreign government. Qatar’s embassy said the transfer of an aircraft for temporary use was still under discussion, and denied that a decision had been made or that it was a gift. The arrangement drew criticism over the Constitution’s emoluments clause and the appearance of foreign influence.
The Deal
ABC News reported that the administration was preparing to accept the jet, which the report described as “super luxury” and known as a “palace in the sky”. The aircraft is 13 years old. Under the arrangement as reported, it would be available for Trump’s use until shortly before he leaves office, then transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation no later than 1 January 2029. It would first transfer to the US Air Force, which would pay for and carry out the modifications to presidential specifications. ABC reported, citing the Wall Street Journal, that the aviation company L3Harris had already been commissioned for the overhaul.
Trump toured the plane in February while it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport, according to ABC. The arrangement had been expected to be announced during Trump’s Middle East trip. Qatar’s media attache, Ali Al-Ansari, told ABC the transfer of an aircraft for temporary use was under consideration by the two defence ministries.
Trump’s Defence
Trump confirmed the plan in a post on Truth Social on Sunday night and defended it at the White House on Monday. In the post, he said the Defense Department was 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, and complained that Democrats insisted the United States pay top dollar for the plane.
At the White House he said: “I think it’s a great gesture from Qatar. Appreciate it very much.” He also said he could be a stupid person and say, “No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane”. He said the plane was a gift to the Department of Defense, not to him, and compared the offer to a golfing courtesy, saying that when they give you a putt, you pick it up and you walk to the next hole and you say, thank you very much.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday: “The Qatari government has graciously offered to donate a plane to the Department of Defense, the legal details of that are still being worked out.” She said any donation to the government is always done in full compliance with the law, according to ABC News.
The Legal Analysis
The Constitution’s emoluments clause bars US officials from accepting gifts from any King, Prince or foreign State without congressional consent, according to ABC News. Sources told ABC that lawyers for the White House counsel’s office and the Department of Justice drafted an analysis for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth concluding the arrangement was legal because the gift was not conditioned on any official act. Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House lawyer David Warrington concluded it would be legally permissible, on the basis that the aircraft goes to the Air Force and then to the library foundation rather than to Trump personally. ABC reported those conclusions as the administration’s own, not as findings.
The Reaction
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said: “Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar. It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.” Senator Adam Schiff said “the corruption is brazen”. Congressman Jamie Raskin said: “Trump must seek Congress’ consent to take this $300m from Qatar. The Constitution is perfectly clear: ‘no present of any kind whatever’ from a foreign state without Congressional permission. A gift you use for four years and then deposit in your library is still a gift (and a grift).” Senator Jack Reed said: “Such a gesture represents a blatant conflict of interest and undermines the integrity of American leadership.” House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to comment without details, according to ABC News. ABC’s estimate for the aircraft was about $400 million; Raskin’s statement said $300 million.
The Context
The Trump Organization announced a $5.5 billion golf development in Qatar days before the story broke, The Guardian reported. Security analysts also questioned the surveillance and security implications of a foreign-origin presidential aircraft. Juliette Kayyem said: “The surveillance and security aspects are also as disturbing as the grift.” The current Air Force One replacement programme has run late, with Boeing’s delivery estimate pushed to 2027. Australia has separately pressed Washington for relief from the administration’s tariff measures. Whether Congress would act, and whether the transfer would proceed as described, remained unresolved, according to the reporting.
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Sources: ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-administration-poised-accept-palace-sky-gift-trump/story?id=121680511; ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-defends-qatar-jumbo-jet-offer/story?id=121715591; The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/11/trump-accept-luxury-plane-gift-qatar; Axios, https://www.axios.com/2025/05/12/trump-qatar-jet-free-plane-air-force-one
Photo: Adam Moreira (AEMoreira042281), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Illustrative: a Qatar Amiri Flight Boeing 747-8 Business Jet parked at John F. Kennedy International Airport in January 2018. The aircraft pictured is of the type discussed in the article; the photograph is not from the events described.
