Bicycles, clothing, antiques, even animals—U.S. presidents have received all kinds of gifts throughout history. Among the most iconic is the Oval Office’s Resolute Desk, given by Queen Victoria in 1880 to President Rutherford B. Hayes, made from British naval oak. But now, Qatar is raising the bar: it plans to give Donald Trump a Boeing 747 to replace the aging Air Force One, which is over 40 years old.
The move has sparked controversy over possible foreign influence on U.S. politics. While Qatar confirmed discussions with Washington about a “possible transfer,” it avoided using the word “gift.” Trump, however, wrote on his platform Truth Social “So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” he wrote.”
ABC News reports the aircraft—a 13-year-old Boeing 747 worth roughly $400 million—was described as a “flying palace.” Trump toured it in February when it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport. He is expected to use it throughout his second term, after which it would be transferred to his presidential library foundation.
The formal announcement could come during Trump’s Middle East tour, which includes stops in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. The U.S. Air Force would first modify the jet for presidential use, with taxpayers covering those costs.
Trump’s legal team, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House counsel David Warrington, has deemed the gift “legally permissible,” arguing that it is not conditioned on any official act. A memo prepared for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth concluded that the donation does not violate laws banning foreign gifts to U.S. officials, since it would be given to the Air Force and later to the foundation—not directly to Trump.
Still, backlash has been swift. Senator Chuck Schumer mocked Trump’s “America First” slogan, saying, “Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar.” Congressman Jamie Raskin warned that Trump must seek congressional approval, citing the Constitution’s ban on gifts from foreign states without such consent. Democratic pollster Matt McDermott called the act “corruption in broad daylight,” also noting that Trump’s sons recently announced a $5.5 billion golf course project in Qatar.
