The White House is in discussions with the Qatar royal family and may receive a luxurious giant jet designed to be used as an Air Force aircraft.
Qatar denied in a statement that the aircraft would be a gift, but said the transfer of the “temporary use” aircraft was discussed between the two countries.
The plane will be donated to Trump’s presidential library at the end of his term, according to CBS News, a BBC news partner in the United States.
The news came as Trump will visit Qatar this week as part of his first foreign trip in his second term.
Qatar’s media attachment to the United States Ali Al-Ansari said negotiations are underway between the Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense.
“This matter is still under review by the respective legal departments and no decision has been made.”
Sources told CBS News that the aircraft will not be ready for use immediately because it needs to be renovated and cleaned by security officials.
The potential value of the aircraft and its treatments will certainly raise legal and moral issues among critics.
“Any gift given by a foreign government is always in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump’s administration is committed to full transparency,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Sunday.
Trump defended the negotiations with Qatar, calling the plane a gift and said he provided his use for free on Sunday’s truth social networking site.
“The Department of Defense is therefore getting the gift of 747 aircraft for free to replace the 40-year-old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very open and transparent deal, thus disturbing the bending Democrats they insisted on paying for the aircraft,” he wrote.
According to the U.S. Air Force, the current fleet of the White House includes two Boeing 747-200B aircraft designed to use special communication equipment and special communication equipment and special features such as cabins, offices and conference rooms. The aircraft has been in use since 1990 and 1991.
An Air Force aircraft usually transfers it to other governments. According to the National Archives, only the Reagan Presidential Library owns an Air Force and it flew past seven presidents before donating.
Qatar is said to offer a version of the Boeing 747-8, a new model that ABC News has upgraded to a “Flying Palace.”
Boeing has been signed to provide new aircraft for the White House, but Trump complained earlier this year that the company was lagging behind schedule. His administration initially negotiated with Boeing for two specialized 747-8 aircraft during his first administration.
Aircraft manufacturers say that the aircraft will not be available until 2027 or 2028.
“No, I’m not happy with Boeing. It took them a long time to be the Air Force number one, and we gave this contract a long time ago,” Trump said in February.
“We can buy planes or take planes or something.”
Trump had positive diplomatic ties with Qatar during his first term, including an announcement in 2019 that the country would buy a large number of U.S. aircraft.
Qatar has previously provided private jets to other countries as gifts, such as luxury planes given to Turkey in 2018.
