US President Donald Trump has dismissed concerns regarding Qatar’s offer to donate a $400 million 747-8 jet to be used as Air Force One, calling it “stupid” to reject such a generous gift.
Trump made the comments on Monday during a White House press briefing when questioned about the ethics and security implications of accepting the aircraft from Qatar’s royal family. While some have raised concerns over the potential for conflicts of interest, Trump downplayed these issues, describing the offer as “a great gesture.”
“I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, ‘no, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane,'” the 78-year-old billionaire said.
The Qatari offer followed Trump’s repeated complaints about delays and budget overruns concerning Boeing’s contract to provide two new Air Force One jets to replace the aging current models.
Trump was particularly defiant when asked whether he would use the jet for personal purposes once he leaves office. “You should be embarrassed asking that question,” Trump responded. “They’re giving us a free jet. I could say, no, no, no, don’t give us I want to pay you $1 billion or $400 million, or whatever it is. Or I could say, thank you very much.”
He added that the plane would be donated to his future presidential library as an exhibit, similar to the way Ronald Reagan’s library features a former Air Force One jet.
Qatar has since sought to downplay the controversy, stating that the jet would not be a “gift” but rather is under consideration for temporary use as Air Force One. Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attache to Washington, confirmed that the potential transfer of the aircraft is being discussed between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense.
The plan has sparked ethical and legal concerns, particularly given that the US Constitution prohibits government officials from accepting gifts from foreign leaders or states. There are also serious national security concerns about using an aircraft provided by a foreign government for the highly sensitive role of Air Force One, which functions as a mobile command centre for the president during a national crisis.
Democrats have been particularly vocal in their opposition, with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee issuing a statement that argued such a gift would create a “clear conflict of interest” and raise “serious national security questions.” Senator Chris Murphy also labelled the proposal as “nuclear-grade graft” and suggested that he would block any arms sale to Qatar if the deal went ahead.
In response, Trump and the White House have insisted that the donation would be made directly to the US Department of Defense, which they argue would sidestep constitutional concerns. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasised that any donation would comply with the law and reiterated the administration’s commitment to “utmost transparency.”
Trump has long expressed dissatisfaction with the current Air Force One jets, which entered service in 1990. Earlier this year, he suggested that his administration was exploring alternatives to Boeing after delays in the delivery of the new aircraft.