Monday, May 12, 2025 - The Qatari royal family is reportedly set to gift U.S. President Donald Trump a luxury Boeing 747-800 aircraft, estimated to be worth $400 million.
According to sources cited by ABC News and The New York
Times, the aircraft, which is 13 years old, will be transferred to the U.S. Air
Force and upgraded to meet military specifications for presidential transport.
It is expected to be designated as a future Air Force One.
The Qatari royal family, one of the wealthiest in the world
with an estimated net worth of $335 billion, is behind the gift—believed to be
the most valuable foreign donation ever made to the U.S. government. The move
is already drawing scrutiny over its legality and implications.
Reports state that once Trump leaves office, the aircraft
will be donated to his presidential library, allowing him continued access to
it as a private citizen.
To preempt legal challenges, Trump’s legal team, including
attorney general Pam Bondi and top White House lawyer David Warrington, have
reportedly prepared legal documentation asserting that the gift is “legally
permissible.”
They argue it does not violate U.S. laws prohibiting federal
officials from accepting gifts from foreign governments, nor does it breach
constitutional provisions against foreign influence.
The development comes as Trump prepares for a diplomatic
tour of the Middle East, with Qatar among the countries on his itinerary. The
president has previously voiced the need for a new official aircraft.
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