Donald Trump is reportedly ready to accept a luxury plane described to be a “palace in the sky” being offered to the US president as a gift from Qatar’s royal family, almost immediately igniting accusations of bribery and corruption as well as commensurate criticism.
A statement from Qatar on Sunday acknowledged it had held discussions with the US about “the possible transfer” of a plane to be used temporarily by Trump as his presidential aircraft, usurping Air Force One. But the emirate’s statement denied a final decision over the transfer had been made – or that it was a gift.
On Sunday, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter, ABC reported that the Trump administration was girding itself to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8, a jumbo jet from the Qatari royals that was estimated to be about $400m. Trump would then use the 13-year-old plane as the new Air Force One until shortly before the conclusion of his second Oval Office stint, at which point it would be transferred to his presidential library foundation no later than 1 January 2029.
The luxury gift from Qatar was expected to be announced next week during Trump’s three-day tour of the Middle East that includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, ABC reported. Yet a Qatari spokesperson said it was “inaccurate” to say that the jet would be gifted “during the upcoming visit of president Trump”.
Trump toured the opulent plane in February while it was parked at the West Palm Beach international airport, ABC added.
Assuming Trump accepts the plane as planned, the jumbo jet would first be transferred to the US air force so the military branch could configure the aircraft to meet the specifications required for presidential travel, ABC’s sources told the network. The network added that any costs affiliated with its transfer would be paid for by the US air force, which receives a significant portion of the revenue generated by federal taxpayers.
According to ABC’s sources, Trump’s attorney general Pam Bondi and his top White House lawyer David Warrington have pre-emptively concluded that it is “legally permissible” for Trump to accept the luxury gift and then transfer it over to his presidential library.
Both reportedly arrived at that conclusion after lawyers for the White House counsel’s office as well as the justice department said the gifted plane was not conditioned on any official act and therefore was not bribery.
Those lawyers drafted an analysis for defense secretary Pete Hegseth which reiterated that nothing about the plane violated federal laws prohibiting US government officials accepting gifts from foreign states or their royals. In fact, ABC’s sources said, Bondi’s reading of the situation was that the plane was being given to the US air force and then Trump’s presidential library foundation rather than her boss himself.
Nevertheless, reports of the highly unusual – if not unprecedented – gift that Trump’s subordinates had afforded their blessing for him to receive triggered a wave of criticisms towards the president.
The Democratic senator Chuck Schumer quickly mocked Trump’s political slogan of “America first”.
“Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar,” the US Senate minority leader from New York said in a statement. “It’s not just bribery – it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.”
On X, Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland said: “Trump must seek Congress’ consent to take this $300m from Qatar. The Constitution is perfectly clear: no present of any kind whatever’ from a foreign state without Congressional permission. A gift you use for four years and then deposit in your library is still a gift (and a grift).”
Democratic pollster Matt McDermott echoed similar sentiments, saying: “Literally speechless…
“A foreign regime gifting a jet to a former president. It’s bribery in broad daylight.”
McDermott remarked that the Trump Organization run by the president’s children only days earlier had announced a new $5.5bn golf course in Qatar.
“Today: Qatar ‘gifts’ Trump a luxury jet. Surely just a coincidence,” McDermott said.
Meanwhile, Harvard University international security professor Juliette Kayyem said: “The surveillance and security aspects are also as disturbing as the grift.”
The CNN security analyst added that “Qatar will surely offer a plane that satisfies their needs as well.”
CNN medical analyst Jonathan Reiner took to X and said: “Air Force One is a (checks notes) Air Force plane. A military aircraft. It’s not intended to be a palace because the US doesn’t have a king.”
Similarly, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman and prolific Trump scoopster wrote that the plane in question was “likely the most expensive gift from a foreign government in US history and will likely raise questions from legal experts”.
She added: “If Trump continued using it out of office, it would give him access to a much more modern plane than Trump Force One,” which is a private Boeing 757 built in 1991 that belongs to the organization run by his sons.
