Amid a wave of speculation surrounding a potential aircraft transfer to the United States, Qatari officials are pushing back on claims that the country is handing over a lavish Boeing 747 jet to President Donald Trump as a personal gift.
Over the weekend, ABC News reported that Qatar is expected to provide the U.S. government with a highly customized aircraft, described as a “flying palace” that is estimated to be worth around $400 million.
The outlet indicated the official announcement could be made as early as next week, during a planned trip by President Trump to the Gulf nation.
According to unnamed sources cited by ABC, the jet would reportedly be available for President Trump’s use as Air Force One for the remainder of his second term. Ownership would then shift to his presidential library foundation after he leaves office.
But Qatar swiftly refuted the reports. In a statement issued Sunday, the country’s media attaché to the United States, Ali Al-Ansari, made clear that no finalized agreement exists.
“Reports that a jet is being gifted by Qatar to the United States government during the upcoming visit of President Trump are inaccurate,” the statement read.
Al-Ansari clarified that while discussions have occurred regarding a possible aircraft transfer, those talks remain ongoing between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense.
“The matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made,” he added.
Despite Qatar’s firm denial, ABC News maintained that President Trump toured the opulent aircraft in February when it was stationed at Palm Beach International Airport.
The aircraft in question has reportedly been configured with elite-level accommodations, sparking criticism from opponents and even some allies.
While White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt refrained from confirming specific details, she stated that “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.”
ABC News also noted that legal analysis conducted by the White House and Department of Justice found that receiving the plane would not violate the law, as long as the aircraft is considered a gift to the U.S. government and later passed to Trump’s presidential library.
Sources claimed that attorney general Pam Bondi and White House counsel David Warrington have determined the arrangement to be “legally permissible.”
The report about Trump potentially accepting the “flying palace” from Qatar provoked outrage from several members of the Democratic Party.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took aim at the story, mocking Trump’s “America First” mantra.
“Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar,” Schumer sniped. “It’s not just bribery – it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.”
Congressman Jamie Raskin echoed similar concerns, posting on X that, “Trump must seek Congress’ consent to take this $300m from Qatar. The Constitution is perfectly clear: no present of any kind whatever from a foreign state without Congressional permission.”
The Democratic National Committee called the potential Air Force One replacement Trump’s “latest grift.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) requested that the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the acting Department of Defense inspector general and the Office of Government Ethics open an investigation into the transaction.
With an estimated value of $400 million, the aerial palace would constitute the most valuable gift ever conferred on a President by a foreign government,” he wrote.
Torres is seeking an “immediate” ethics review to determine if the gift violates federal ethics rules or the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Some conservatives also urged the Trump administration to be cautious about proceeding. Right-wing commentator Laura Loomer voiced serious reservations about the jet.
“I love President Trump. I would take a bullet for him. But, I have to call a spade a spade. … This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true,” she warned.
In response to mounting criticism, President Trump addressed the situation on Truth Social, brushing off the concerns and accusing his political opponents of manufacturing outrage.
“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40-year-old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA,” Trump posted.
