Recently, I covered how Trump isn’t happy with the current state of the Air Force One fleet, and how the new Air Force One is roughly a decade behind schedule. He reportedly cares a lot about flying a new aircraft, and has devised a plan to acquire a Boeing 747-8 from Qatar, and have it flying before the end of the year.
Well, we’ve just learned some interesting details about this plan, per ABC News, which is raising some eyebrows.
Qatar gifting a new Air Force One to Trump
The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to accept a Boeing 747-8 from the royal family of Qatar, as a gift. The deal is expected to be announced next week, when Trump visits Qatar on his first foreign trip of his second term. This is the same aircraft that Trump toured back in February in West Palm Beach.
The 13-year-old jet would initially be transferred to the United States Air Force, where it would be modified to meet US military specifications required for any aircraft used to transport the president of the United States. Okay, getting a plane for “free” from Qatar is quite a good deal for taxpayers, right, since we’re only on the hook for modifications?
Well, as it turns out, his plan isn’t for the plane to then stay with the government. Instead, the intent is for the aircraft to remain Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which time ownership of the aircraft will be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation. That’s right, Trump will keep the plane!
The specific plan is that the plane will be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation no later than January 1, 2029, and costs related to the transfer will be paid by the US Air Force (presumably this assumes that Trump doesn’t have a third term, an idea he has repeatedly floated). The value of the aircraft is estimated at around $400 million, and that doesn’t include the additional communications and security equipment the Air Force will need to add to properly secure and outfit the plane to carry the president.
Is this legal, or does it constitute bribery?
This plane would be the most valuable gift that the “United States” has ever receive from a foreign government (I put the country in quotes, because it’s only partly going to the United States).
The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to receive criticism about the legality of this arrangement, and in particular, about the plane being transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation after he leaves office.
Lawyers from the White House counsel’s office and the Department of Justice have drafted an analysis for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, concluding that it is legal for the Department of Defense to accept the aircraft as a gift and later turn it over to the Trump library, and that it does not violate laws against bribery or the Constitution’s prohibition of any US government official accepting gifts “from any King, Prince or foreign State.”
Furthermore, Attorney General Pam Bondi has concluded that it would be “legally permissible” for the donation of the aircraft to be conditioned on transferring its ownership to Trump’s presidential library before the end of his term.
The White House and DOJ have reportedly concluded that because the gift is not conditioned on any official act, it doesn’t constitute bribery. They also believe it doesn’t run afoul to the Constitution’s prohibition on foreign gifts because the plane isn’t being given to an individual, but rather, to the Air Force and then a presidential library foundation.
Bottom line
The new Air Force One project is delayed by around a decade, and Trump reportedly wants a newer aircraft, so he has been working on sourcing one. Reports suggest that next week he’ll receive a Boeing 747-8 as a gift from Qatar, which will then be outfitted with new technology, and be used as the new Air Force One.
The catch is that this isn’t a long term gift to the US government, but instead, it’ll be transferred to Trump at the end of his term, for him to keep. So taxpayers are paying all the money to upgrade the plane, for his long term personal gain. The Trump administration has decided that this is totally legal. Honestly, I simply have no words here…
I know how polarizing politics is, but would anyone actually like to defend this? And if so, would you similarly have defended if Biden or Obama did this? This is just so beyond unethical, if you ask me…
What do you make of Qatar gifting Trump a 747?
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