U.S. formally accepts Qatar-gifted jet for Trump's use as Air Force One

The Associated Press

· Posted: May 21, 2025 4:16 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has accepted a luxury Boeing 747 craft from Qatar for U.S. President Donald Trump to usage arsenic Air Force One, the Pentagon said Wednesday, contempt ongoing questions astir the morals and legality of taking the costly acquisition from a overseas nation.

The U.S. Defence Department will "work to guarantee due information measures" connected the craft to marque it harmless for usage by the president, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said. He added that the level was accepted "in accordance with each national rules and regulations."

Trump has defended the gift, which came up during his caller Middle East trip, arsenic a mode to prevention taxation dollars.

"Why should our military, and truthful our taxpayers, beryllium forced to wage hundreds of millions of Dollars erstwhile they tin get it for FREE," Trump posted connected his societal media tract during the trip.

'Palace successful the sky'

Others, however, person said Trump's acceptance of an craft that has been called a "palace successful the sky" is simply a usurpation of the U.S. Constitution's prohibition connected overseas gifts. Democrats person been agreed successful outrage, and adjacent immoderate of the Republican president's allies successful Congress person expressed concerns.

"This unprecedented enactment is simply a stain connected the bureau of the presidency and cannot spell unanswered," said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. "Until Americans get transparency connected this shady deal, which seemingly includes a corrupt crippled for Donald Trump to support the level astatine his room aft leaving office, I'll proceed to clasp each Department of Justice governmental nominees."

WATCH | Qatar prompts questions:

Schumer has introduced authorities that would prohibit immoderate overseas craft from being utilized arsenic Air Force One and forbid usage of payer wealth to modify oregon reconstruct the aircraft. But connected Wednesday, Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas objected erstwhile Schumer asked for a vote, frankincense blocking it. He did not connection an mentation for his objection.

Critics person noted the request to retrofit the level to conscionable information requirements, which would beryllium costly and instrumentality time.

"Far from redeeming money, this unconstitutional enactment volition not lone outgo our federation its dignity, but it volition unit taxpayers to discarded implicit 1 cardinal successful payer dollars to overhaul this peculiar craft erstwhile we presently person not one, but 2 afloat operational and afloat susceptible Air Force One aircraft," said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, of Illinois.

She said during a proceeding Tuesday that it is simply a "dangerous people of action" for the U.S. to judge the craft from the Qatari ruling family.

'Truly outrageous'

It's not conscionable sitting lawmakers who are captious of the script that is unfolding betwixt the U.S. and Qatar.

"The conception that a president of the United States would judge a $400-million 747 from a overseas government, immoderate overseas authorities ... is genuinely outrageous," said Susan Rice, who served as national information advisor nether Barack Obama, erstwhile speaking to The Atlantic's David Frum astir the connection from Qatar.

U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told senators that Hegseth has ordered the work to commencement readying however to update the jet to conscionable needed standards and acknowledged that it volition necessitate "significant" modifications.

The aerial force, successful a statement, said it is preparing to grant a declaration to modify a Boeing 747 aircraft, but that immoderate details are classified.

Trump was asked astir the determination Wednesday portion helium was gathering successful the Oval Office with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. "They are giving the United States Air Force a jet," Trump said, bristling astatine being questioned astir the acquisition by a reporter.

Trump said it was fixed "not to me, to the United States Air Force, truthful they could assistance america out." 

Ramaphosa, who was sitting adjacent to Trump successful the Oval Office and has been moving to repair his narration with the president, said, "I'm atrocious I don't person a level to springiness you."

"If your state was offering the United States Air Force a plane, I would instrumentality it," Trump said.

Trump has presented nary nationalist information imperative for a swift upgrade alternatively than waiting for Boeing to decorativeness a caller Air Force One jets that person been successful the works for years.

He has tried to tamp down immoderate of the absorption by saying helium wouldn't alert astir successful the craft erstwhile his word ends. Instead, helium said, the level would beryllium donated to a aboriginal statesmanlike library, akin to however the Boeing 707 utilized by U.S. president Ronald Reagan was decommissioned and enactment connected show arsenic a depository piece.