Latest news with #QatarGift
The Independent
7 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Trump laments Qatar luxury airplane gift ‘much too big' for his own use
Donald Trump said the new luxury plant gifted to him by Qatar is 'much too big' for his personal use. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office at the White House on Wednesday, 28 May, the US president said 'Frankly, it's too big, much too big.' Mr Trump described the new jet as 'beautiful, big, magnificent.' The Republican accepted the Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet, valued at $400m, as a gift from the Qatari royal family during his trip to Middle East.
Sky News
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Trump100 Q&A: Ambushes, the death penalty and the plane
👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈 On this episode of Trump100, US correspondents Mark Stone and Martha Kelner tackle listener questions on topics ranging from the ambush in the Oval Office, American loyalty to Israel, and the Qatari's extreme gift to President Trump, a jumbo jet. If you've got a question you'd like the Trump100 team to answer, you can email it to trump100@ YouTube channel.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pentagon accepts $400 million jet from Qatar for President Donald Trump
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon has accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jet from Qatar to be used as Air Force One, the president's plane, according to the Defense Department. The unprecedented $400 million gift, which President Donald Trump has said will transfer to his library after his term ends, will require extensive renovation to serve essentially as the flying White House. 'The Secretary of Defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations," Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said in a May 21 statement. "The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the President of the United States." More: How Air Force One stacks up to the Qatari 747, Trump's coveted 'palace in the sky' Qatar offered Trump the plane during his trip last week to the Middle East. News of the offer drew immediate condemnation from Senate Democrats. Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, called on the Pentagon inspector general to investigate what he called a "brazen attempt to evade constitutional limitations on the acceptance of personal gifts from foreign governments without congressional approval." More: Planes on the brain: Trump covets jet gift, announces Boeing deal on Qatar trip Retrofitting the plane against counterintelligence and surveillance risks would be costly and take years to complete, Reed said. Replacements for the current Boeing 747s used as Air Force One are years behind schedule. The Air Force, in a statement, said it is preparing to award a contract to modify the plane for "executive airlift. Details related to the contract are classified." Trump called journalists' questions about the plane 'fake news' during a May 21 news conference in the Oval Office with South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa. 'They're giving the United States Air Force a jet, and it's a great thing,' Trump said. "I'm sorry I don't have a plane to give you," Ramaphosa told Trump. (This story has been updated with new information.) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pentagon accepts Qatar's $400 million jet gift to Trump
Japan Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
U.S. accepts Qatar luxury jet as Trump's new Air Force One
The Defense Department formally accepted a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar to temporarily serve as the new Air Force One for U.S. President Donald Trump, one of the biggest foreign gifts ever given to the U.S. government. The move fulfills Trump's desire for a new presidential aircraft, after years of delays in the U.S. government's contract with the aerospace giant for new planes to serve that role. Still, the gift raises ethical and security concerns, with politicians from both parties questioning the president's decision. "The Secretary of Defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations,' chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. "The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the President of the United States.' He referred further questions to the Air Force, which oversees the presidential aircraft. A second Pentagon spokesperson did not respond to further questions about the projected costs, a timeline for the conversion of the aircraft, or what role the department would play in a review of compliance with applicable laws and regulations. "As directed by the Secretary of Defense, the Air Force is preparing to award a contract to modify a Boeing 747 aircraft for executive airlift,' an Air Force spokesperson said. "Details related to the contract are classified.' Trump defended accepting the plane on Wednesday, during a White House event with visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. "They're giving the United States Air Force a jet, and it's a great thing,' he said. Under the arrangement, the plane from Qatar would serve as a bridge while Boeing completes a new pair of jets for the president's use. Trump has said he would no longer use the aircraft after leaving office and earlier reports have suggested the plane could be eventually decommissioned and displayed at a future presidential library. U.S. lawmakers and government watchdogs have blasted the plan, saying it adds yet another conflict of interest for a president whose official duties have long mixed with his family's business dealings in the Middle East. The exact value of the jet isn't known, and Boeing has discontinued production of its iconic humped-backed jumbos. The plane would likely sell for $75 million to $100 million, according to the Cirium Ascend Consultancy, while the interior with oversize chairs, sofas, wood paneling and a master suite, completed a decade ago, could add $25 million. Others have expressed concerns about technical and security issues around Trump using a foreign aircraft as the presidential jet, which is typically equipped with sophisticated defense and communications systems. The White House has said its lawyers have signed off on the agreement and Trump has dismissed Democrats who criticized the gift as "losers.' The U.S. president has justified moving quickly to acquire a new plane, saying the current Air Force One is "much smaller' and "much less impressive' than gleaming, newer jets used by Gulf state leaders. "We're the United States of America, I believe that we should have the most impressive plane,' Trump said in a recent interview on Fox News. "Why wouldn't I accept a gift? We're giving to everybody else.' Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Tuesday defended the country's decision to gift the plane as a routine transaction between partners, calling criticism of the deal a misguided view of the country as an Arab state trying to gain political influence. The gift is the latest example of how Trump's private and official business have mixed together during his second White House term. The official announcement followed Trump's Middle East visit last week that included a stop in Qatar, where he announced a flurry of deals, including a $96 billion plan by Qatar Airways to acquire as many as 210 Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X aircraft. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg attended a ceremony at the royal court in Doha with Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to sign the agreement. The plan to use the Qatari 747-8 aircraft marks an unusual twist in the long-running saga around the delayed presidential jets. Trump has publicly knocked Boeing for failing to get new planes into service, with the current timeline suggesting likely preventing him from using them before his term ends. The Air Force has said Boeing has to fix about a dozen technical obstacles to deliver the new jets, from flaws in the cockpit and passenger windows to cracked fuselage structures, excessive noise and the required certification of the unique planes' flight-handling characteristics. A top U.S. Air Force official said earlier this month that Boeing is proposing to deliver its new version of the aircraft in 2027. The effort to get the plane into service by then means the Air Force is looking at possible trade-offs considered acceptable, officials said at the time. While the Qatari model comes fully furnished with interiors that include lavish private quarters, the plane lacks the classified communication and weapons systems that have delayed the next Air Force One jets. The Qatari plane will most likely get a lighter upgrade of its defenses and anti-jamming devices, meaning that it may only be deployed domestically. The luxuriously appointed jet was previously based in the Qatari capital city, but has been in San Antonio, Texas since April 3, according to flight tracking site ADS-B Exchange.
Washington Post
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Defense Department accepts Boeing 747 from Qatar for Trump's use
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jet from Qatar for President Donald Trump to use as Air Force One, the Pentagon said Wednesday, despite ongoing questions about the ethics and legality of taking the expensive gift from a foreign nation. The Defense Department will 'work to ensure proper security measures' on the plane to make it safe for use by the president, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said. He added that the plane was accepted 'in accordance with all federal rules and regulations.'
