Latest news with #VC-25B
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Air Force pegs cost to modify Qatar-gifted plane at ‘less than $400M'
The Air Force estimates it will cost less than $400 million to modify a luxury aircraft gifted from the Qatari government into President Donald Trump's flying command center, according to the service's top civilian official. That projection is far less than the $1 billion congressional democrats and some aviation experts have said would be required to harden the plane's defenses and install the countermeasures, encrypted communications and other capabilities needed to fulfill the Air Force One mission. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said Thursday in a House Armed Services Committee hearing that the assumptions some are making about the modification costs include things like training and buying spare parts — expenses the service has already accounted for through its broader VC-25B presidential aircraft program. While the Air Force may now need to procure those things earlier, it won't be paying for them twice. 'There's been a number thrown around on the order of a billion dollars,' Meink said, adding later, 'It's probably less than $400 million to retrofit that aircraft.' The White House announced last month it would accept Qatar's offer to gift the president a modified Boeing 747-8, worth roughly $400 million. The plan is to use the gifted plane throughout the rest of Trump's term and then donate it to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation after Trump leaves office. The Air Force, which will oversee the upgrades, hasn't provided details on the scope or schedule of the modifications or confirmed who will perform the work. The Wall Street Journal reported in May that L3Harris has been tapped to convert the aircraft at a facility in Texas and expects to complete the upgrades later this year. The Air Force is already in the midst of a major modernization program, started in 2015, to convert two 747-8 aircraft through the VC-25B presidential aircraft program. Boeing is under a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract to conduct the modifications. Deliveries were previously slated for last year, but have since been pushed to 2029 — a delay that has frustrated Trump. The president on his social media platform Truth Social last month described Qatar's offer of a 747-8 to fill that gap as 'a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE' to the Defense Department. Democrats have taken issue with the deal on multiple levels, criticizing the president's acceptance of a $400 million aircraft from a foreign government as a conflict of interest and claiming the cost to turn it into an airborne situation room could balloon to billions of dollars. During Thursday's hearing, Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., raised the issue of the modification costs, speculating they will fall closer to $1 billion or more. He also called for greater transparency from DOD on what that price tag will be. 'Based on the experience that we already have gone through with retrofitting planes, 747s, it's clear that this is going to be a drain on the Air Force's budget,' he said. 'I think that the sooner we just sort of rip the Band-Aid off and get that information out there, it would be helpful for us in terms of deciding whether this is a smart path to go down.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Editorial: No thanks to Qatari gift — Forget the fancy free plane
While there's nothing inherently wrong with the U.S. military accepting used equipment from another country, President Donald Trump's plan to use a Boeing 747 from Qatar as a new Air Force One and then keeping it for his own personal use after leaving office has too many problems to fly. From appearance's sake to security concerns to the proprietary of using what would be a U.S. government asset for private benefit, the deal should never take off. The Air Force now operates twin 1990-vintage 747s with tail numbers 28000 and 29000 for presidential travel. The aircraft designations are known as VC-25A. Two replacements, VC-25B, have long been on order from Boeing, with Trump during his first term in 2018 agreeing to a $3.9 billion price for the pair for a 2024 delivery. 2024 didn't happen and the current delivery date is now 2029, during the next presidential term. But in testimony last week to the House Armed Services Committee, Darlene Costello, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology, and logistics, said that planes could be ready in 2027. The new planes on back order are the last version of the famed widebody, the Boeing 747-8i. The 'i' is for intercontinental, for passenger airliners, as opposed to the 747-8f, which is a freighter for air cargo. So enter the Qataris. They have a surplus 747-8i, from 2012, outfitted as a flying palace that they want to unload. So they would donate this aircraft to the Pentagon, which would upgrade the security and communication equipment needed to transport the president and it would be the new Air Force One. That call sign is for any Air Force craft carrying the commander in chief, just like helicopters or planes with the president aboard are called Marine One or Navy One or Army One or Coast Guard One. Under the proposed arrangement, in 2029, when Trump departs office (we hope he does) and the new jets from Boeing arrive, the ex-Qatari airliner would be transferred to Trump's presidential library and museum, presumably for him to keep flying as a private citizen. Do we want the U.S. government to be using hand-me-downs from the oil and gas rich Gulf state? And what would the Qataris expect in return (which is not money)? And even if those weren't issues, in order to provide the total privacy and security needed as a flying White House, every bolt would have to be removed and examined for possible eavesdropping bugs. It would be too risky to let a foreign power have the potential to listen in to everything being said on Air Force One. And even if the technical hurdles could be managed (which they probably can't), handing the plane to Trump as a parting gift is unacceptable. If such a plane in the Pentagon's inventory had no future value to the government, then sell it off at a surplus auction. Trump says that this is a great deal. But that's only because he doesn't mind being in debt to the Qataris and he doesn't mind being exposed to security breaches and he sees nothing wrong with him getting to keep the 747 for his personal retirement travel. So while it's a good deal privately, it's a no-go for the public. _____
Newsweek
14-05-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Air Force One: Trump's Billion Dollar 'Boondoggle' Explained
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Qatar's proposed "gift" of a jumbo jet to Air Force One has added a new twist to a multi-billion-dollar saga that began in 2018, when Boeing agreed with President Donald Trump to deliver two new presidential aircraft. Seven years later, it remains incomplete. The deal, signed in 2018 for $3.9 billion, commissioned Boeing to deliver two new custom 747-8s into Air Force One, a project that has fallen off schedule, angering the president. The project also faces additional pressure from the GOP, some of whom argue it is among "the biggest government boondoggles" and should face further public scrutiny. US President Donald Trump arrives in the Qatari capital Doha from Saudi Arabia on May 14, 2025. US President Donald Trump arrives in the Qatari capital Doha from Saudi Arabia on May 14, 2025. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images As the story continues, Newsweek has summarized the key events so far. Trump signs deal in 2018 In February 2018, the White House said Boeing would build two next-generation Air Force One planes at a fixed cost of $3.9 billion. Trump, backed by his officials, claimed his deal-making had made savings worth around $1.5 billion. He has since inflated that figure; his original savings claim was called into question by a Newsweek investigation. The contract won by Boeing would replace the Air Force One VC-25A fleet vehicles with customized 747-8s, to be designated VC-25B, intended for delivery by 2024. 2021-2025: Delays pile up In 2021, news emerged of delays amid a legal battle between Boeing and one of its contractors. As reported by Defense One, Boeing sued contractor GDC Technics, which countersued Boeing over the delays. In June 2021, Air Force acquisition official Darlene Costello told a House Armed Services Committee that the project could be delayed to 2025. In 2022, the Pentagon officially approved the delay of the first aircraft to September 2026 at the earliest. Pentagon documents state the delay was due to a "combination of factors: interiors supplier transition, wiring design, fabrication, installation timelines, modification throughput limitations, and project execution rates." The Air Force announced more delays in 2023, estimating the first craft would be delivered by 2027. A press release said the use of dark blue paint on the plane's exterior design, as requested by the White House in 2019, had led to additional heat testing. "The Air Force remains postured to keep VC-25A available and mission-ready until delivery of the VC-25B," a statement read. In December 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that unnamed sources familiar with the matter said the planes would not be ready until 2029 or later. However, the Air Force has recently said it was working with Boeing to deliver the aircraft within Trump's second term. At a House Armed Services Committee on May 7, 2025, Air Force official Darlene Costello said Boeing had provided an estimated completion date "that did coincide with the end of fiscal year 2027." "There's some assumptions baked into it that we're not sure are exactly appropriate and we're going to be looking at ways to bring that to the left," Costello added. Costello wrote in a submission to the committee that the Air Force was "actively pursuing options to accelerate VC-25B delivery in coordination with commercial and government stakeholders" following delays attributed to "interiors supplier transition, manpower limitations, and wiring design completion." An Air Force official told Newsweek: "Boeing provided an accelerated delivery estimate that could deliver VC-25B aircraft earlier if adjustments are made to requirements. "The Air Force is coordinating with the White House and Boeing to further define the requirements and acceleration options while ensuring we provide a safe, secure, and reliable aircraft for the President." Newsweek has contacted a media representative for Boeing via email for comment. Trump and Allies Complain While Boeing's former CEO, David Calhoun, said the fixed-cost contract with the Air Force presented a "very unique set of risks Boeing probably shouldn't have taken", Trump has repeatedly criticized the delay to the project. In February 2025, Trump said he was "not happy with Boeing" and "was looking at alternatives because it's taking Boeing too long." Trump toured a Boeing 747-8 to express his anger, with White House communications manager Steven Cheung saying: "President Trump is touring a new Boeing plane to check out the new hardware and technology. This highlights the project's failure to deliver a new Air Force One on time as promised." Allies in the GOP have also attacked the project. Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst told this week the project could fall under a proposal called the "Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025." The bill would require public disclosure of any project more than $1 billion over budget or five years behind schedule. According to a February 2025 statement from Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, the bill would "rein in Washington's wasteful spending" and hold "excessively costly and delayed" projects to account. Newsweek has contacted a media representative for Ernst and a contact for Miller-Meeks via email for comment. Could the Project be Canceled? Neither Trump nor White House has said the project will be cancelled, although the jumbo jet "gift" from Qatar has refreshed such talk. Qatari officials said the plane was being given by the Qatari Ministry of Defense to the Pentagon. However, Trump said the Boeing 747-8 jet will be used as the official presidential plane, and, according to multiple reports, after he leaves office, it will be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation. A statement by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt sent to Newsweek said: "Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump's Administration is committed to full transparency." Newsweek has contacted media representatives for Boeing and the White House about the future of the contract. Legal experts speaking to Newsweek have said that Boeing could, in theory, sue for breach of contract over the issue. Attorney Bradley P. Moss told Newsweek that "Boeing would almost certainly have a clear breach of contract lawsuit it could bring, given it remains contracted to produce the new Air Force One planes. That would get messy and heated very quickly." He added: "Boeing, as well as any contractors and subcontractors, would almost certainly stand to bring a civil action under the Tucker Act." This act allows individuals to sue the government in specific cases where the government has breached a contract, violated the law, or caused injury. However, it is "very unlikely," according to Richard Painter, a chief ethics lawyer under former President George W. Bush. "Boeing perhaps could sue if it affects their contract to build Air Force One, but the contract is still in place so it's very unlikely they will sue," he told Newsweek.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Turning Qatar's Gifted 747 Into Air Force One Will Be Anything But Free
Saying only a 'stupid person' would turn down a free, highly-modified 747-8i airliner, President Donald Trump on Monday doubled down on his justification for receiving a donated jet from Qatar to serve as a presidential plane until Boeing completes delivery of two future VC-25B Air Force One aircraft. However, the deal being negotiated raises a number of glaring questions. Ethical and legal concerns over Qatar's 'gifting' of the jet have already been highlighted across the mainstream media. But the question of whether the very luxurious aircraft, supposedly worth $400 million, will meet even stripped-down operational and security requirements for transporting a sitting U.S. president is just as pressing. The actual price of making this interim Air Force One aircraft happen is another unanswered question — it will be far from free — as is the supposed timeline for realizing it. Finally, Qatar has actually gifted a luxurious 747 to a key ally before, an act that also raised a lot of eyebrows. Regardless, just getting any 747-8i in the USAF's hands could be a good thing, even if it never actually flies in its intended role. '…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,' Trump told reporters at the White House Monday morning. 'Now, I could be a stupid person to say, 'Oh no, we don't want a free plane. We'll give free things. Then we'll take one too, and it helps us out, because, again, we're talking about we have 40-year-old aircraft. The money we spend, the maintenance we spend on those planes to keep them tippy-top, is astronomical. You wouldn't believe it. So I think it's a great gesture from Qatar. I appreciate it very much.' The President also pushed back on concerns that accepting the jet would be a conflict of interest. More from Trump explaining the luxury 747 jet gift from Qatar. — Polymarket Intel (@PolymarketIntel) May 12, 2025 White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt previously said that any donation would meet all legal requirements for accepting such an offer. KILMEADE: Do you worry that if they Qataris give us something like this that they'll want something in return?LEAVITT: Absolutely not, because they know President Trump and they know he only works with the interests of the American public in mind — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 12, 2025 Trump's comments today came in response to an ABC News report that he will use the aircraft as his presidential plane until shortly before he leaves office in January 2029, when ownership will be transferred to the foundation overseeing his yet-to-be-built presidential library. 'I thought it was a great gesture, and it's something that was done by Ronald Reagan,' Trump said of the donation offer and subsequent plans for the aircraft after he leaves office. 'They actually decommissioned the plane, and he put it in this library, and it actually has made the library – I think a Boeing 707 – it's actually made the library more successful.' It's worth noting that the VC-137 that sits in the Reagan Library served for decades across multiple administrations, and had used up its service life. It was not procured by a single president and retired at the end of their term to serve as a display piece in their library. Trump added that his presidential library would maintain possession of the aircraft, which he would not use after his presidency expires. The idea of an 'interim' presidential aircraft stems from delays in the current effort to replace the two current VC-25As — the oldest of which has been flying for 35 years — which are based on the 747-200 model. The VC-25B program traces its roots back to the late 2000s, and then-President-Elect Donald Trump had previously called for its cancellation back in 2017. 747-200s in any configuration have all but disappeared from the skies, meaning finding parts and general support for the type is getting harder and more expensive with each passing year. The USAF also flies four E-4B airborne command post aircraft based on the same design, which are in the process of being replaced themselves by a larger number of 747-8is. Trump noted the maintenance issues during his Monday press conference. 'The money we spend, the maintenance we spend on those planes to keep them tippy-top, is astronomical,' Trump said without offering specifics. 'You wouldn't believe it.' The VC-25As are the most expensive aircraft to fly in the USAF's portfolio, costing roughly $178,000 per hour based on numbers from four years ago. That price has only gone up, likely significantly. The designated replacements for these jets, known as Air Force One when the president is aboard, are the two VC-25Bs that Boeing is converting from 747-8i airliners, as you can read more about here. The conversion process has taken far longer than initially anticipated, with estimates that the new jets would not be ready until 2029, after Trump leaves office. However, a top Air Force official testified last week that the flying branch is working with the White House and Boeing to speed things up. 'Recent estimates that we've gotten from Boeing show a significant improvement in that date,' Darlene Costello, the Air Force's acting acquisitions chief, testified before the House Armed Services Committee. 'We are looking at the requirements that are being potentially traded off to get to that date. And so I would not necessarily guarantee that date, but they're proposing to bring it into [20]27 if we can come to an agreement on the requirements changes that can get us to that point…We're working with the White House on what's acceptable from a capability standpoint for those aircraft, and we'll refine the date accordingly.' The Air Force has 'also relieved some of the security requirements for construction, for a production facility for a period of time,' Costello added. 'It will not be a permanent relief, but that has enabled Boeing to be more efficient and productive in assembling the aircraft and doing, getting their mechanics to do the work, but we're down to a few remaining issues that we have to work through, and we will hope to close out in the very near future and then we will have, I believe, a better estimate on the schedule.' In her written testimony, Costello chalked up the delays to 'interiors supplier transition, manpower limitations, and wiring design completion.' 'We are committed to replacing the 35-year-old VC-25A with reliable air transport equipped with communications capability and security equal to that of the White House,' Costello wrote. All these delays have led to Boeing recording losses of more than $2 billion on the program, the contract for which was negotiated on a fixed-price basis. The aircraft, which were obtained second-hand, were already slated to be the most expensive fixed-wing aircraft ever built, when you factor in the total program cost. Converting any aircraft to one that will allow a president safe travel, with highly secure communications and the ability to conduct continuity of government operations in the event of a major contingency, including a nuclear exchange, is a very complex process. Earlier this year, reports were circulating on how Trump was looking at alternative options for the next Air Force One, including how he had reportedly inspected the former Qatari jet at Palm Beach International, Florida. As you can read about in this previous in-depth piece, the 12-year-old aircraft belonged to the ruling family of Qatar, but was subsequently marketed for sale. No buyers have come taken the Jumbo Jet, with its equally supersized operational costs, on. According to a report from business news channel CNBC, L3Harris Technologies is set to work on modifications to the former Qatari 747. The company on Monday declined to comment. As we previously reported about efforts to speed up delivery of the VC-25Bs, Elon Musk's visit to the Boeing facility in San Antonio, Texas, last December gave an indication of what this process might look like. In an interview with CNBC to discuss another disastrous quarter for Boeing's financial results in January, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg acknowledged that the company had talked with Musk. 'The president wants the airplane sooner, and so we're working with Elon and the team to figure what can we do to pull up the schedule of that aircraft,' Ortberg told CNBC. He called the talks with Musk 'constructive.' In addition to complaining about the former security clearance concerns, Musk reportedly also criticized the amount of time built into the program for flight testing. 'The idea was that we could just strip out a lot of the military stuff, just give the president a good-looking new airplane to fly in with commercial capabilities and maybe some minimal military upgrades,' an unnamed former Pentagon official told The New York Times, after Musk's apparent visit to Boeing in San Antonio. Boeing CEO 'embracing' Elon Musk's help with VC-25B Air Force One replacement — FlightGlobal (@FlightGlobal) February 21, 2025 The Air Force, White House, and Boeing declined comment on Monday on the compromises being discussed to move the VC-25B program along at a faster pace. The Pentagon deferred questions about the Qatari jet to the White House. It's one thing to hasten the conversion process. It is quite something else to ensure that the end product will meet the strict requirements for keeping the president connected, including with the National Command Authority (NCA), even in a dire crisis. The ability for the president to connect with the NCA anywhere and at any time underpins the credibility of America's nuclear deterrent. It is not seen as a negotiable item in terms of requirements. Hardening the aircraft from the electromagnetic effects of nuclear explosions, defending it against a multitude of threats — especially surface-to-air missiles — and playing a role in the critical 'continuity of government' mission are all aspects of Air Force One's requirements. Many secondary modifications, including vast power generation capabilities and structural tweaks, are needed to integrate these and other features. The ultra-luxurious Boeing 747-8, which former U.S. President Donald Trump is set to receive as a gift from the Qatari emir's family, is poised to become the most valuable present ever given to the United States by a foreign experts estimate the… — Savchenko Volodymyr (@SavchenkoReview) May 12, 2025 As we have addressed before, the ex-Qatari 747-8i is nowhere close to being suited for fulfilling these demanding requirements as it sits. And while the aircraft has a very impressive and expensive 'royal flight' interior, creature comforts are just one element of what makes Air Force One accomplish its mission. With that in mind, while the aircraft may be free, the cost to modify it into the Air Force One role, even in a stripped-down manner, would be far more than its supposed (and inflated) $400M 'retail' price tag. All these systems, once fully integrated, would also need to be tested, which goes beyond typical flight testing. Much of the interior will need to be ripped out and reinstalled to accomplish the necessary modifications. All this would be done for a one-off aircraft with an extremely limited service life. Accomplishing this quickly just so Trump can use it for a couple of years — if that is even possible, which it likely is not — makes little logical sense. Then there is the risk taken on by drastically reducing requirements for this interim aircraft, which is a whole other issue, that will be defined by its final configuration. Maybe they jet could be relegated to domestic, lower-risk travels, but then the question goes back to what is the point? On the other hand, with the 747 now well out of production, getting a 'free' spare airframe that be stripped for parts to support not just the future VC-25B fleet but also the larger fleet of at least four (and likely more) E-4C Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft the USAF is now in the process of converting would be a very good thing. Ultimately, however, as president, it will be up to Trump to decide what the security, safety, and communications requirements will be for any new Air Force One. Trump's interest in modifying the VC-25B program dates back to his first term, when he wanted to see the aircraft wear an entirely new red, white, and blue livery. That change was ultimately cancelled by the Biden administration. 'The Air Force previously displayed a red, white, and blue livery for the VC-25B because it had been publicly expressed as a preferred livery in 2019. A thermal study later concluded the dark blue in the design would require additional Federal Aviation Administration qualification testing for several commercial components due to the added heat in certain environments,' the Air Force's press release explained about the change away from Trump's proposed scheme. 'Everything has its time and place. We'll be changing the colors,' Trump told reporters while aboard one of the existing VC-25As on January 25. So far, there has been no official request by Trump to reintroduce his preferred livery, an Air Force official told us. As with the other issues, what the new planes will look like is up to the ongoing negotiations between the Air Force, the White House, and Boeing. In addition, although the VC-25Bs will be more capable in almost every way, some features once seen as critical have already been dropped, despite these aircraft having a massive multi-billion-dollar price tag. The ability for the jets to refuel in the air, previously viewed as extremely important for dealing with a dire contingency, will not be a feature on the VC-25Bs, as least as far as we still know at this time. As noted earlier, this isn't the first time Qatar gifted a fully converted royal 747-8i to another nation. In 2018, we were the first to report that Turkish President Recep Erdogan was given the sister ship to the 747-8i that Trump is now so interested in. That deal also raised concerns at the time, but in the end the Jumbo Jet is now flying in Turkish colors. As for Qatar's stance on the status of the luxury 747 in question, its possible transfer to the U.S. for temporary use as Air Force One 'is currently under consideration between Qatar's Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense, but the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made,' Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar's Media Attaché to the United States, told Politico. Though Trump is heading to the Middle East, where he will meet with Qatari officials, the White House pushed back against assertions that the president will close the deal on the jet. '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 in Qatar,' a U.S. official told The War Zone. Contact the author: howard@
Belfast Telegraph
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Trump reportedly set to accept jet from Qatar's ruling family
ABC News reported that Mr Trump will use the plane as a new version of Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office in January 2029, when ownership will be transferred to the foundation overseeing his yet-to-be-built presidential library. The gift is expected to be announced when Mr Trump visits Qatar as part of a trip that also includes stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the first extended foreign travel of his second term. Administration officials, anticipating questions about the president accepting such a large gift from a foreign government, have prepared an analysis arguing that doing so would be legal, according to ABC. The Constitution's Emoluments Clause, Article I, Section 9, Clause 8, bars anyone holding government office from accepting any present, emolument, office or title from any 'King, Prince, or foreign State,' without congressional consent. Mr Trump intends to convert the Qatari aircraft into a plane he can fly on as president, with the Air Force planning to add secure communications and other classified elements to it. But it will still have more limited capabilities than the existing planes that were built to serve as Air Force One, as well as two other aircraft currently under construction, according to a former US official who was briefed about the plane and spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not yet been made public. The existing planes used as Air Force One are heavily modified with survivability capabilities for the president for a range of contingencies, including radiation shielding and anti-missile technology. They also include a variety of communications systems to allow the president to remain in contact with the military and issue orders from anywhere in the world. The official told The Associated Press that it would be possible to quickly add some counter-measures and communications systems to the Qatari plane, but that it would be less capable than the existing Air Force One aircraft or long-delayed replacements. Neither the Qatari plane nor the upcoming VC-25B aircraft will have the air-to-air refuelling capabilities of the current VC-25A aircraft, which is the one the president currently flies on, the official said. Air Force One is a modified Boeing 747. Two exist and the president flies on both, which are more than 30 years old. Boeing has the contract to produce updated versions, but delivery has been delayed while the company has lost billions of dollars on the project. Delivery has been pushed to some time in 2027 for the first plane and in 2028 — Mr Trump's final full year in office — for the second. ABC said the new plane is similar to a 13-year-old Boeing aircraft Mr Trump toured in February, while it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport and he was spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club. Mr Trump's family business, the Trump Organisation, which is now largely run by his sons, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, has vast and growing interests in the Middle East. That includes a new deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar, partnering with Qatari Diar, a real estate company backed by that country's sovereign wealth fund. Administration officials have brushed off concerns about the president's policy interests blurring with family's business profits. They note that Mr Trump's assets are in a trust managed by his children and that a voluntary ethics agreement released by the Trump Organisation in January bars the company from striking deals directly with foreign governments. But that same agreement allows deals with private companies abroad. That is a departure from Mr Trump's first term, when the organisation released an ethics pact prohibiting both foreign government and foreign company deals. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, when asked on Friday if the president during his upcoming trip might meet with people ties to his family's business, said it was 'ridiculous' to suggest Mr Trump 'is doing anything for his own benefit'.
