The Trump management has authorised the “unconditional donation” of a luxurious jet from Qatar, and not using a stipulation on what must occur to the airplane after President Donald Trump leaves place of job, in keeping with an settlement reviewed through ABC Information.
The memorandum of working out, or MOU, was once signed previous this month through Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth and Qatar’s Minister of State for Protection Affairs, Soud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
The deal paves the way in which for the Air Pressure to start the method of retrofitting the aircraft — dubbed a “flying palace” as a result of its sumptuous finishes — for the president’s use.
Resources advised ABC Information previous this 12 months that when the president left place of job, the plan known as for shifting possession of the aircraft to the Trump presidential library basis.
A Qatari Boeing 747 sits at the tarmac of Palm Seashore Global airport after President Donald Trump toured the airplane, Feb. 15, 2025.
Roberto Schmidt/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
The price of refurbishing the aircraft is classed, even though lawmakers have speculated that it would value up to $1 billion.
The Air Pressure referred questions at the deal to Hegseth’s place of job, which referred a reporter again to the Air Pressure.
“Why would we ask the American taxpayer to spend upwards of $1 billion on a aircraft that will then most effective be used for a handful of months after which switch immediately to the president? That does not sound like a sensible use of taxpayer greenbacks,” mentioned Sen. Chris Murphy, D-N.Y., all the way through a Senate listening to in June.
Air Pressure Secretary Troy Meink advised lawmakers that the cash to refurbish the jet could be pulled from a program meant to exchange getting older nuclear missiles, known as the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program.
However Meink mentioned the Sentinel nuclear program, which is over price range, wouldn’t be right away impacted as it was once being restructured.
Trump has lengthy complained about the principle airplane used within the present Air Pressure One fleet, which might be Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets which have been operational since 1990. The Air Pressure is below contract with Boeing to exchange the ones airplane.
“The airplane is donated in its present situation (“as is”), with none promises or warranties, except another way agreed upon in long term preparations,” the brand new memo states.
“The donation is unconditional, and the airplane is also used or disposed of through the DOD in its sole discretion, in any approach it deems suitable, as long as such use or disposal stays based on United States regulations,” the memo later provides.
Not anything within the settlement must be “interpreted or construed” as “an be offering, promise, or acceptance of any type of bribery, undue affect, or corrupt observe,” the memo provides, calling it a “bona fide reward.”
