Trump Defends Plan to Accept Qatari Jet Gift Amid Sharp Criticisms

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - U.S. President Donald Trump, planned to accept a free replacement of Air Force One from Qatar, triggering sharp criticism from the American public, including among some Republicans.

As reported by NDTV, the Qatari royal family has reportedly offered to donate a luxurious 747-8 jumbo jet valued at an estimated US$400 million. Trump is waiting for the delivery of two new Boeing aircraft that will serve as the upgraded Air Force One.

The U.S. Constitution prohibits government officials from accepting gifts from any "King, Prince, or foreign State," based on Article 1 Foreign Emoluments Clause. However, Trump deflected when asked whether he would use the jet in a personal capacity after leaving the presidency.

"You should be embarassed asking that question," Trump told reporters on Monday, May 12, 2025. "I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I could be a stupid person and say, 'No, we don't want a free, very expensive airplane,'" he said.

Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday on his first Gulf tour, where he's set to stop by Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump has long been dissatisfied with the current Air Force One jets. The aircraft in use is a Boeing 747-200B series, which has been in operation since 1990 under President George H.W. Bush. Earlier this year, the U.S. President expressed frustration with the aircraft. Trump said his administration wanted to seek a replacement aircraft from Boeing amid the delayed delivery of the two new 747-8 aircraft.

"We're very disappointed that it's taking Boeing so long... We have an Air Force one that's 40 years old. You look at some of the Arab countries and the planes they have parked alongside the United States of America plane, it's like from a different planet," he said.

Trump toured Qatar's 747-8 aircraft in February when the aircraft was parked at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, near his Mar-a-Lago resort. At the time, the White House said that Trump did so to study how the upgraded Air Force One aircraft would be configured.

However, the Democratic Party members, legal experts, and some Republicans are concerned that Trump's plan to accept a luxury jet free of charge from the Qatari royal family may pose ethical, legal, security, and counterintelligence issues.

"Any president who accepts this kind of gift, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government creates a clear conflict of interest," the statement said by four members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Amid a barrage of criticism, Trump said he would not fly on the Boeing 747 when his term ended. Instead, the US$400 million aircraft would be donated to a future presidential library. During the Ronald Reagan administration, the Boeing 707 was decommissioned and displayed as a museum collection item.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that the White House would be very transparent in accepting this donation. "The Qatari government has graciously offered to donate a plane to the Department of Defense. The legal details of that are still being worked out," she told Fox News.

"But of course, any donation to this government is always done in full compliance with the law, and we commit ourselves to the utmost transparency, and we will continue to do that," she said.

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