President Donald Trump has revealed he could be flying on the Qatar jet by February next year. It will replace the older Air Force One. The plane was earlier in possession of the Qatari Royal Family. The $400 million plane was a gift, so Trump could not turn it down.
The “free plane” can be ready to fly at the beginning of next year, as the POTUS said it’ll be done much sooner than others. He states other planes are being built too, while they take a longer time.
The new plane is about 13 years old, and Trump isn’t aware of the cost of repairs and retrofitting. Many have speculated he’s trying to hide the cost of repairs, as it’ll be a few hundred million to a billion taxpayers’ money.
He said the cost will depend on the military. The POTUS revealed it’s their plane now, so they’ll be spending the money on it. A memorandum of understanding stating it’s an unconditional donation/bona fide gift is going around, which was signed between the Qatari, Sheik Abdulrahman Al-Thani, and Pete Hegseth, the Defense Secretary.
Apart from the cost to taxpayers, the announcement of the deal led to backlash and security concerns. Furthermore, the plane will be added to Trump’s presidential library after his term. According to the White House, receiving the gift is legal.
Trump is apparently funneling nearly $1B in SECRET from a missile program to turn a “free” Qatari jet into a gold-trimmed Air Force One, which eventually will be turned over to Trump. It’s total corruption. Self-serving, paid for by taxpayers. Drain the swamp?… pic.twitter.com/WfTphLPIzg
— Mike Levin (@MikeLevin) July 29, 2025
So far, it is unclear how much the repairs will cost to ensure it becomes the New Air Force One, but it can go up to a billion. Since he also wants a gold trim on the jet, it can add up to the luxury repairs.
There will also be a lounge and communications center. We’re yet to see what other luxury demands the president will have.
Several people, including Democrat Chris Murphy, have criticized the expensive repairs. He states it does not sound wise to use taxpayers’ money like this for a plane that will go to the president later on. It’ll only be used for a few months.
Trump: I got a beautiful, big, magnificent free airplane for the United States Air Force. I’m very proud of that.
(He “forgot” to mention that the luxury Qatari jet will be transferred to his library when he leaves office, so he can keep using it.)
pic.twitter.com/gIwG2Nlwkg— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) May 28, 2025
Meanwhile, the President is thrilled as he used to complain about his current Boeing fleet, which is 35 years old. He called it a great plane; however, it’s hard to find its parts for repairs. In the interview, Trump also brought up Obama, saying how he paid less money than he had earlier.
Trump was seen in his windswept hair, which was creating a buzz a few days ago. Netizens were calling out his attempt to hide bald patches.
