Donald Trump's New Air Force One 'Gift' From Qatar Will Likely Cost US $1B

Newsweek

4 days ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A jet donated by Qatar that is expected to become President Donald Trump's next Air Force One could ultimately cost American taxpayers $1 billion or more in retrofitting and upgrades.
The free Air Force One from Qatar, which Trump has described as a gift, has raised eyebrows after a $934 million transfer of funds was made to an unnamed classified project from the Pentagon, with officials in the Air Force saying that millions of dollars were needed to pay for renovating the aircraft.
Newsweek has contacted the Air Force via email for more information.
Why It Matters
The Qatari jet, delivered as a "bona fide gift" to the United States, arrived at a time when the Pentagon sought alternatives to delayed Boeing aircraft for presidential use. While officials emphasized the absence of any quid pro quo, the process of converting a 13-year-old Boeing 747 into a secure, advanced command center for the president could add a significant, taxpayer-funded price tag that goes against the concept of a gift.
What To Know
On July 7, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Qatari Deputy Prime Minister Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani signed a memorandum of understanding, detailing Qatar's "unconditional donation" of a Boeing jet to the Pentagon, with no payment made to Qatar.
The agreement explicitly said the gift should not be interpreted as bribery or an attempt to influence U.S. policy. The jet is being housed in San Antonio, awaiting extensive retrofitting and security upgrades before it can be used as Air Force One.
President Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One upon his arrival at Prestwick Airport, south of Glasgow, on July 25.
President Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One upon his arrival at Prestwick Airport, south of Glasgow, on July 25.
Getty Images
The renovation's official price is classified, but congressional budget analysis and reports from The New York Times have traced a $934 million transfer from the over-budget Sentinel nuclear missile modernization program, believed to be earmarked for the jet's transformation.
Additionally, officials within the Air Force told The New York Times that the Air Force was using funding initially ring-fenced for nuclear modernization to upgrade the new plane, which would explain why the $934 million transfer originated from the Pentagon's nuclear program.
"I think there has been a number thrown around on the order of $1 billion," Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink told Congress in June. "But a lot of those costs associated with that are costs that we'd have experienced anyway, we will just experience them early."
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social in May: "The Boeing 747 is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME! It is a gift from a Nation, Qatar, that we have successfully defended for many years. It will be used by our Government as a temporary Air Force One, until such time as our new Boeings, which are very late on delivery, arrive."
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told ABC in May: "It's a perfectly legal transaction; it's been vetted by White House counsel, by the Justice Department, there are outside law firms involved. So, it's a perfectly legal, government-to-government, department of defense-to-department of defense transaction that happens in the normal course, and has been happening in the normal course throughout our existence.
"Governments exchange services—in this case the president has done … an incredible array of wonderful deals and created all kinds of opportunities for this country, for our economy, for the growth of our economy, and everything is always with the mind of doing something good for the American public, for the American taxpayer. This is another example—they decided to donate something because of all the wonderful things we've done for them in the past."
What Happens Next
The Pentagon is finalizing the registration and preparing to begin upgrades at a Texas facility known for classified aviation work.