Trump could get Qatar plane as new Air Force One. He toured the 'flying palace' in Florida
The possibility of an extravagant foreign gift immediately raised ethical concerns. A constitutional provision bars U.S. officials from accepting presents from any king, prince or foreign state.
Since taking office for a second time in January 2025, Trump has flown to Palm Beach, Florida, to visit his private club Mar-a-Lago aka the "Winter White House," for 10 weekends, according to the Palm Beach Daily News, a USA TODAY Network newspaper. He's used the current presidential aircraft, modified Boeing 747s, which are called Air Force One when he is aboard.
But Trump has been eager to change up the presidential airplanes since his first presidency. Here is what to know about his current ride and how it could change with the Qatari gift.
Trump and Air Force One: How much does it cost to operate presidential airplane?
Since his first presidency, Trump has lamented the colors of the Air Force One planes, and tried to get it repainted to red, white and blue, but the plan was rejected over heat exposure concerns.
Boeing has been working on Boeing 747-8s to become the new presidential planes to address "capability gaps" in the old fleet. However, the new planes have faced production delays, calling into question whether they would be ready before the end of Trump's presidency.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who also leads the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE for the Trump administration, had reportedly been trying to help Boeing speed up production, according to CNBC.
Trump cast the gifted planes from Qatar as a solution to the delays at a May 12 press conference at the White House.
"We're very disappointed it's taking Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One. You know, we have an Air Force One that's 40 years old," he said at the press conference. He said Qatar wanted to step in and help. "I think it's a great gesture from Qatar ... Now, I could be a stupid person and say 'we don't want a free plane.'"
ABC News broke the news of the potential gift on May 11 or Mother's Day.
Trump has toured the plane he could soon use as Air Force One in Palm Beach in February, according to Reuters: "Trump toured the Qatari-owned 747-8 in February (2025) when it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, near his Mar-a-Lago resort. At the time, the White House said the president did so to get a better understanding of how the updated Air Force One planes would be configured," the Reuters story states.
This particular Boeing 474-8 is made to be so luxurious it is known as a "flying palace," ABC News reported.
Trump told reporters at the press conference that the gifted plane would eventually go to his library, but denied he would use the planes himself after leaving office.
Trump first addressed the reports about the gifted plane on social media on May 11, 2025, which was the Mother's Day holiday.
"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," Trump's post stated.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt also said the gift would be accepted in compliance with the law, USA TODAY reported.
A new commercial 747-8 costs approximately $400 million, according to Reuters.
Qatar is a country in the Middle East located on the Persian Gulf. Trump is heading to the region this week with scheduled visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, according to pool reports.
A spokesperson for Qatar said the gift arrangement was still under consideration, according to USA TODAY.
'The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar's Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense, but the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made,' media attache to the U.S. Ali Al-Ansari said, USA TODAY reported.
Trump also recently revealed he is considering changing the U.S.-recognized name for the Persian Gulf to "Arabian Gulf," which could be discussed on this trip. The body of water has a historically Iranian identity.
Contributing: John Bisognano and Alexandra Clough, Palm Beach Post; Sudiksha Kochi, Joey Garrison and Bart Jansen, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump, Qatar plane gift: Cost, photos, ethics of new Air Force One
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