Posted on 05/11/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
In an extraordinary diplomatic gesture, the Qatari royal family is set to donate a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to the United States, which will serve temporarily as Air Force One for President Donald Trump, ABC News reported.
Sources told ABC News that the aircraft, dubbed a "flying palace," will be formally presented during Trump's upcoming visit to Qatar. The aircraft will be transferred to the US Air Force, modified for presidential use, and later handed over to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation before the end of Trump's term.
Legal analyses prepared by White House and Justice Department lawyers reportedly determined that accepting the aircraft is lawful under US law, including the emoluments clause of the Constitution, provided the gift is not tied to any official act.
The plane, valued at approximately $400 million before modifications, will be overhauled to meet Air Force One standards, with costs covered by the US military. Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Counsel David Warrington were said to have approved the arrangement as legally sound.
Former US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro commented on the report: "The Qataris know exactly how to play Trump like a fiddle. This is embarrassing."
He added: "Trump should be pressuring Qatar to lean on Hamas to release more Israeli hostages. Raise your hand if you think he will pressure Qatar to do *anything* when they are gifting him a lavish plane for his post-presidency."
US Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) commented: "Air Force One will have something in common with Hamas. Paid for by Qatar."
The report of the gift comes amid a reported rift between the US President and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to a report by NBC News, while the two leaders initially aligned on addressing threats from Hamas and Iran, their approaches have diverged in recent weeks. In addition, the report noted that Netanyahu and Trump do not see eye to eye on the US's nuclear talks with Iran and its decision to stop striking Houthi targets in Yemen.
Qatar is seen as being antagonistic, at best, to Israel, while being friendly to many of Israel's adversaries, including groups that the Trump administration has been softening its stance about lately, such as Iran and the Houthis.
Neither the White House nor the Qatari embassy responded to ABC News' requests for comment.