Trump is ready to accept a luxury plane as a gift from Qatar

President Donald Trump is ready to accept a luxurious Boeing 747-8 as a gift from the authorities of Qatar, ABC News reported on Sunday. The plane would be the most expensive gift from a foreign country and would first serve as Air Force One and then be donated to a foundation for the presidential library.

The TV station reported, citing sources familiar with the proposal, that the plane would be accepted as a gift from the Qatari royal family and would serve as the presidential aircraft Air Force One, but would be transferred to a foundation for Trump's presidential library just before the end of his current term. The decision is to be announced during Trump's visit to the Middle East next week.

The president toured the plane - known as the "flying palace" - during a visit to Florida in February.

According to ABC, if the gift were to be given, it would be the most expensive gift from a foreign country, with the plane estimated to be worth $400 million. It would also certainly generate legal controversy. The U.S. Constitution states that "no person holding any office, whether commercial or honorary, under the United States shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept from any King, Prince, or foreign state, any present, emolument, office, or title." This provision was cited by critics of the president during Trump's first term, claiming that Trump violated it when delegations from other countries stopped at his properties during visits.

Still, Attorney General Pam Bondi — who has served as a lobbyist for Qatar in the past — and Trump's top White House lawyer, David Warrington, concluded the gift would be "legally permissible" if the plane's transfer was contingent on its transfer to Trump's presidential library before the end of his term, according to sources familiar with their arrangements.

On Sunday, many Democratic Party politicians criticized the information, including former prosecutor, congressman Daniel Goldman.

"Trump plans to accept a $400 million aircraft as a gift from Qatar to serve as AF1. It should come as no surprise that Pam Bondi, a former Qatari foreign agent, has given her consent," Goldman wrote on X. "'Unconstitutional' is an understatement to describe this brazen corruption, let alone the threat to national security," he added.

During Trump’s first term, his administration placed orders with Boeing for planes to serve as Air Force One, but the company has faced years of delays in delivering them, much to Trump’s repeated frustration. The company now plans to deliver the first presidential-grade 747 in 2027, down from 2022.

From Washington Oskar Górzyński (PAP)

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