Trump clarifies ownership of aircraft in defense of Qatar's gift
The Boeing 747 offered to the United States by Qatar will be given to the Department of Defense, President Donald Trump said Tuesday, responding to questions about the legality of accepting a gift from a foreign power.
Qatar's royal family offered to donate a $400 million jumbo jet that could serve as Air Force One.
The White House has pushed back against criticism of Trump, saying any gift from a foreign power is always accepted in full compliance with all laws.
"The Boeing 747 is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform in the middle of his visit to Saudi Arabia. "It is a gift from a Nation, Qatar, that we have successfully defended for many years. It will be used by our Government as a temporary Air Force One, until such time as our new Boeings, which are very late on delivery, arrive."
Some Democrats have called for an ethics investigation over the gift.
On Sunday, Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., wrote to the Government Accountability Office, deriding the deal as a "flying grift," arguing it violates the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, which "explicitly prohibits any person holding public office from accepting ‘any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.'"
HOUSE DEMOCRAT CALLS FOR 'IMMEDIATE' ETHICS PROBE OF QATARI PLANE GIFT TO TRUMP
"I am writing to express alarm over reports that President Donald Trump is poised to accept a luxury aircraft — a Boeing 747-8 — from the government of Qatar. The plane, so opulent it has been described as a ‘palace in the sky,’ is set to be made available to President Trump for official use as Air Force One and then for private use once he leaves office," Torres wrote.
Trump questioned why taxpayers should foot the bill for the aircraft when the U.S. can get one at no cost.
"This big savings will be spent, instead, to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump wrote. "Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
Trump reportedly toured the plane in February when it was on the tarmac of the West Palm Beach Airport in Florida, ABC News reported over the weekend.
The gift has reportedly been tied up with legal reviews as the White House counsel's office and the Department of Justice review the legality of the president accepting such a pricey gift from a foreign nation.
The current Air Force One fleet includes two planes, and Trump awarded Boeing a $3.9 billion contract in 2018, during his first term, to manufacture two new jets. The construction of the jets, however, is not expected to be completed until 2029.
Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.