Why Trump wants a $515 million airplane rife with risks
The arrangement has raised numerous questions about security considerations and the ethics of accepting such a gift – even from a strategic ally. Despite those concerns, the Trump administration, on May 21, formally accepted the offer. Here's what to know.
What's wrong with the current presidential planes?
The president has several aircraft available for his use; 'Air Force One' is simply the call sign for whichever plane is carrying the president at the time. The current fleet includes two Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets and several smaller Boeing 757-200s typically used for shorter trips and smaller airports.
The larger planes have been in service for nearly 35 years, and the Air Force has sought replacements for more than a decade. During Mr Trump's first term, the Air Force contracted with Boeing to provide two already built planes – bigger and heavier but more powerful and with a longer range than their predecessors – that would be retrofitted to serve the needs of the president. But those planes, known as VC-25Bs, are billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule.
The delays and cost overruns have occurred in part because retrofitting a jumbo jet for presidential use is no small task. A plane used by the president is sometimes called the 'Flying White House' and includes a presidential bedroom, a built-in situation room, a surgical suite, and seats for VIPs, staff and the press corps. Other equipment, to defend the plane against attacks, is classified.
What is Qatar offering?
The royal family of Qatar – an oil-rich monarchy on the Arabian Peninsula – is giving the US government a plane for Mr Trump's use that's been described as a 'palace in the sky'.
ABC News, which first reported the planned offer, said the value of the aircraft is about $400 million (S$515 million). The 13-year-old Boeing 747-8 would have to be refitted with all the presidential accouterments at an unknown cost.
The plane was previously on call for Mr Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family who has served as prime minister and head of the sovereign wealth fund. According to a report from Forbes, the Thani family has been trying to sell the plane since 2020.
What does Trump say?
Mr Trump has repeatedly defended his decision to accept the plane. 'It's not a gift to me; it's a gift to the Department of Defense,' he told reporters at the White House on May 12. 'If we can get a 747 as a contribution to our Defense Department to use during a couple of years while they're building the other ones, I think that was a very nice gesture.'
In a statement, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said accepting the gift is 'in accordance with all federal rules and regulations'.
What do critics say?
The arrangement has raised eyebrows from both Democrats and Republicans.
'It's not just bribery, it's premium foreign influence with extra legroom,' said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
Representative Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat,called it 'flying grift'.
Some of the fiercest criticism has come from devoted supporters. 'This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true,' far-right activist Laura Loomer posted on X. 'And I say that as someone who would take a bullet for Trump.'
What are the security risks of accepting a plane from Qatar?
US intelligence experts have expressed concern that the plane could present opportunities for surveillance, tracking or compromising communications of the president and anyone traveling with him.
'If we had built the plane, knowing it was going to a foreign government, we would probably have bugged it,' said Mr Thad Troy, a former station chief with the Central Intelligence Agency.
Indeed, part of the reason why Boeing's program is behind schedule and over budget is the complexity of building Air Force One jets in a secure environment with vetted mechanics. The plane gifted by Qatar will have to be carefully inspected for anything that would compromise its security.
It will also have to be retrofitted with the physical and cybersecurity measures built into the current fleet of presidential jets. These features – many of which are classified – include a hardened frame designed to withstand evasive maneuvers, countermeasures to detect and evade missiles, and safeguards to protect electronics equipment from nuclear blasts.
The Air Force has commissioned defense contractor L3Harris Technologies Inc. to do that work, the Wall Street Journal reported.
'This is why it takes so long to build Air Force One,' Mr Troy said. 'It has so many things attached to it to make the president safe.'
Can the president accept personal gifts from foreign countries?
The Constitution forbids anyone holding public office from accepting 'without the Consent of the Congress, any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State'.
But in this case, the plane will be donated to the US Air Force, not to Mr Trump personally. What makes the gift unusual is that Mr Trump wants it to go to his presidential library after he leaves office. Donations to such libraries are largely unregulated despite decades of efforts to limit them, including from foreign donors. Mr Trump has said he doesn't intend to use the plane after his term ends.
What happens to presidential planes after they're no longer needed?
There is precedent for transferring former presidential planes for display at libraries and other presidential sites. A Lockheed Jetstar used by President Lyndon Johnson – sometimes referred to as 'Air Force One-Half' – is on display at the LBJ Ranch, west of Austin, Texas, which is now a national park. A Boeing 747 used from 1973 to 2001 is on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. The National Archives, which operates the library, said the plane is on loan from the National Navy Aviation Museum.
But those planes had outlived their useful service life when they were retired. Decommissioning a plane after less than four years would represent far greater waste given the considerable cost of making it safe and secure. BLOOMBERG
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Times
an hour ago
- Business Times
US budget deficit forecast US$1 trillion higher over next decade, watchdog says
[WASHINGTON] US federal budget deficits will be nearly US$1 trillion higher over the next decade than projected in January by the Congressional Budget Office as a result of tax and spending legislation and tariffs, a budget watchdog said on Wednesday (Aug 20). The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget's (CRFB) latest forecasts show a cumulative deficit of US$22.7 trillion from fiscal 2026 to 2035, compared to the CBO's January forecast of US$21.8 trillion, which was based on laws and policies that were in place before US President Donald Trump took office in January. The CBO, Congress' non-partisan budget referee agency, said on Monday that it will not issue its customary mid-year budget update this year and will issue its next 10-year budget and economic outlook in early 2026, offering no explanation for the move. The CRFB, which advocates for deficit reduction, projected a US$1.7 trillion deficit in fiscal 2025 or 5.6 per cent of GDP, down slightly from US$1.83 trillion in 2024 and the CBO's 2025 projection of US$1.87 trillion in January. But it said that deficits steadily rise over the decade, reaching US$2.6 trillion or 5.9 per cent of GDP by 2035. The new CRFB estimates include the budget effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act tax and spending bill, as well as Trump's tariffs that are currently in place. But like CBO, they do not include the dynamic economic effects on growth from these changes, a forecasting rule that has drawn criticism from the Trump administration. The group projects the tax cut and spending bill to increase deficits, including interest, by US$4.6 trillion to 2035, adding another year to the CBO's US$4.1 trillion cost estimate to 2034. But CRFB estimates that this will be offset by US$3.4 trillion worth of extra import duty revenue over the next decade due to Trump's new tariffs that are currently in place. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up New rules restricting eligibility for health insurance subsidies will reduce deficits by another US$100 billion to 2035, and Congress' rescission of prior funding to foreign aid, public broadcasting and other programmes would save another US$100 billion if sustained over a decade, CRFB said. Net interest payments on the national debt will total US$14 trillion over the decade, CRFB projected, rising from nearly US$1 trillion or 3.2 per cent of GDP in 2025 to US$1.8 trillion or 4.1 per cent of GDP in 2035. Tariff challenge The forecasts are based on legislative and tariff changes since January but keep CBO's economic forecasts unchanged. Under an alternative scenario forecast by CRFB, the budget picture looks far worse, boosting deficits nearly US$7 trillion higher than the CBO baseline. This scenario would see a significant part of Trump's tariffs cancelled if the Court of International Trade's ruling against many of Trump's new tariffs is upheld, cutting US$2.4 trillion from revenues over a decade. The alternative scenario also assumes extension of a number of temporary tax cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including tax breaks on overtime, tips, Social Security income and car loan interest, higher state and local tax deduction allowances and full expensing of factory investments, adding US$1.7 trillion to deficits over 10 years. CRFB's alternative scenario also ditches the CBO's projection of a decline in 10-year US Treasury yields over the decade to about 3.8 per cent. If that interest rate stays at the current level of about 4.3 per cent, interest costs would grow by about US$1.6 trillion through 2035, CRFB said. The total 2035 debt-to-GDP ratio would grow from 118 per cent in the CBO January baseline to 120 per cent under the CRFB's projected baseline scenario and 134 per cent under the CRFB's alternative scenario. REUTERS
Business Times
an hour ago
- Business Times
Hong Kong exchange reports jump of nearly 40% in first-half profit
[HONG KONG] Hong Kong's stock exchange operator said on Wednesday (Aug 20) that its first half profit reached HK$8.5 billion (S$1.4 billion), up almost 40 per cent, driven by a sharp increase in daily stock trading and a revived listings market. The revenue of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) reached HK$14.1 billion in the past six months, up 33 per cent on the year, it said in a stock exchange filing. It declared an interim dividend of HK$6, up from HK$4.36 last year, while earnings per share rose to HK$6.74 from HK$4.84. HKEX said that its average daily equities turnover, or buying and selling of stocks, rose 122 per cent in the half to be worth HK$222.8 billion. South-bound stock trading, where mainland investors trade Hong Kong shares, was up nearly 200 per cent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index is up almost 25 per cent year to date, making it one of the world's best-performing major equities markets. Analysts say the surge in the benchmark index has been driven by foreign investors' return to buying Chinese stocks, despite US President Donald Trump's April tariffs package and geopolitical tension between the two countries. REUTERS
AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
Russian foreign minister praises Trump, criticises Europeans over approach to Ukraine peace push, World News
MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday (Aug 19) that it was clear at Friday's US-Russia Alaska summit that US President Donald Trump and his team sincerely wanted to achieve a long-term and sustainable peace in Ukraine. Lavrov said the atmosphere at the Putin-Trump summit was "very good." "It was clear that the head of the United States and his team, firstly, sincerely want to achieve a result that will be long-term, sustainable, reliable," Lavrov told the Rossiya 24 state television channel. Lavrov contrasted what he said was the constructive US position to that of Europe, some of whose leaders took part in an extraordinary summit at the White House on Monday with Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to discuss Ukraine. Lavrov said "the Europeans had... insisted at every turn only on a cease-fire, and that after that they would continue to supply weapons to Ukraine." [[nid:721542]]
