Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the plane was accepted “in accordance with all federal rules and regulations.”
WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has agreed to accept a Boeing 747 plane as a gift from Qatar for President Donald Trump’s use as Air Force One, according to the Pentagon’s announcement on Wednesday.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed that the Defense Department will ensure “all necessary security features” are installed on the aircraft to make it suitable for presidential use. He mentioned that the acceptance of the plane is “in compliance with federal laws and guidelines.”
Trump has defended the gift, which came up during his recent Middle East trip, as a way to save tax dollars.
Trump expressed on his social media platform that taxpayers shouldn’t have to spend “hundreds of millions of Dollars” on a plane when they can receive one as a “FREE” gift.
Others, however, have raised concerns about the aircraft being a violation of the Constitution’s prohibition on foreign gifts. They also have noted the need to retrofit the plane to meet security requirements, which would be costly and take time.
Trump was asked about the move Wednesday while he was meeting in the Oval Office with South Africa’s president. “They are giving the United States Air Force a jet,” Trump said.
The Republican president has presented no national security imperative for a swift upgrade rather than waiting for Boeing to finish new Air Force One jets that have been in the works for years.
So why did Trump accept this plane?
The two planes currently used as Air Force One have been flying for nearly four decades, and Trump is eager to replace them. During his first term, he displayed a model of a new jumbo jet in the Oval Office, complete with a revised paint scheme that echoed the red, white and dark blue design of his personal plane.
Boeing has been working on retrofitting 747s that were originally built for a now-defunct Russian airliner. But the program has faced nearly a decade of delays — with perhaps more on the way — from a series of issues, including a critical subcontractor’s bankruptcy and the difficulty of finding and retaining qualified staff who could be awarded high-level security clearances.
The new planes aren’t due to be finished until near the end of Trump’s term, and he’s out of patience. He has described the situation as “a total mess,” and he has complained that Air Force One isn’t as nice as the planes flown by some Arab leaders.
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