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The Trump administration is preparing to accept a superluxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar as a gift to be used by President Donald Trump as the new Air Force One for presidential travel until shortly before Trump leaves office, according to four sources familiar with the planning.
Two of the sources also confirm that ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation once the president ends his second term.
According to one of the sources, the arrangement will be done according to U.S. and international laws, in observance of ethics rules. That official said it will take some time for the plane to be delivered to Trump but that the president will discuss the arrangement during his visit to Qatar this week.
Another one of the sources said the idea of gifting Trump this specific plane has been under discussion for “quite some time” and that when the formal offer was made more recently, the president “happily accepted.”
ABC News first reported the gift.
In response to questions about Qatar giving the plane to Trump, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said gifts from foreign governments are accepted following the law.
“Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws,” Leavitt said. “President Trump’s Administration is committed to full transparency.”
A White House official tells NBC News that it is true Qatar has offered to donate a plane to the Department of Defense, but the gift will not be presented nor accepted this week while Trump is in Qatar.
An official spokesperson for the Qatari government disputed some of the U.S. officials’ characterization of the upcoming transaction, telling NBC News that, “Reports that a jet is being gifted by Qatar to the United States government during the upcoming visit of President Trump are inaccurate.”
Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attaché to the U.S., added in a statement, “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.”
Democrats have criticized the Trump administration amid reports about their plans to accept a plane, saying that a gift of this magnitude would need congressional approval.
“Trump must seek Congress’ consent to take this $300 million gift from Qatar. The Constitution is perfectly clear: no present “of any kind whatever” from a foreign state without Congressional permission. A gift you use for four years and then deposit in your library is still a gift (and a grift),” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, wrote in a post on X.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer similarly blasted Trump, calling the plane an example of “foreign influence.”
“Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar. It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom,” Schumer, D-N.Y. wrote in a post on X.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., when even further, calling the move “corrupt” and “unconstitutional.”
“I don’t know who needs to hear this, but NO, Donald Trump cannot accept a $400 million flying palace from the royal family of Qatar. Not only is this farcically corrupt, it is blatantly unconstitutional,” Sanders wrote.
It comes ahead of the president’s first foreign trip of his second term, in which he will travel to Saudi Arabia this week and also make stops in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
While in Qatar, Trump is expected to deliver a speech and then talk with American troops at the Al Udeid Air Base, according to two U.S. officials.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to accompany Trump during his stop at the base.
This is the second time Trump has decided to visit Saudi Arabia for his first foreign trip. He chose the same nation as his first stop in 2017, during his first term.
Yamiche Alcindor is an NBC News Washington correspondent.
Gordon Lubold is a national security reporter for NBC News.
Vaughn Hillyard is a correspondent for NBC News.
Garrett Haake is NBC News' senior White House correspondent.
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