Trump administration accepts Qatari jet for Air Force One

According to a report published by POLITICO on 21 May 2025, the Trump administration accepted a luxury jet from Qatar to be used as Air Force One. The report details the decision by the administration to accept the Qatari aircraft — a Boeing 747-8 reportedly valued at hundreds of millions of dollars — as a gift, with the plane intended to be modified for presidential use and later transferred to the future presidential library foundation. According to POLITICO, the acceptance of the jet drew immediate scrutiny over the ethics and national security implications of a foreign government — and one with a record of documented controversy — gifting such a valuable asset to the United States for the personal and official use of the president. The report notes that critics raised concerns about whether the gift constituted a form of influence-peddling, and that questions were raised about the legal and constitutional frameworks governing foreign gifts to officials. POLITICO reports that Qatari officials defended the gift as a government-to-government transaction, while legal experts and ethics watchdogs flagged the unusual arrangement. The findings are as reported by POLITICO; the original article details the terms of the transfer and the reactions of officials.