Will the US receive luxury 747 aircraft from Qatar to serve as Air Force One?

Sources indicate that this luxury aircraft, one of the most valuable gifts ever received by the U.S. government, will eventually be donated to President Trump's presidential library after he leaves office. A new commercial 747-8 costs approximately $400 million.

In a post on his Truth Social social media page late on May 11, Trump appeared to confirm the proposal.

"The fact that the Department of Defense received a gift, completely free of charge, of a 747 to temporarily replace the 40-year-old Air Force One, in a very open and transparent transaction, has irritated the scheming Democrats so much that they insist we pay an exorbitant price for that aircraft," he wrote.

Democrats argue that Qatar's gift of such a plane is unethical and potentially unconstitutional. "Nothing demonstrates 'America First' more than Air Force One, brought by Qatar," wrote Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on X. "This is not just bribery, but a major outside influence by adding extra legroom."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement: "Any gift from a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. The Trump administration is committed to complete transparency."

Qatari spokesman Ali Al-Ansari told the New York Times that the transfer of the aircraft was still under consideration and "no decision has been made," the newspaper reported.

ABC News was the first to report on this gift-giving plan on May 11th.

President Trump has previously expressed frustration over delays in the delivery of two new 747-8 aircraft to be used as an upgraded Air Force One. During his first term, Trump reached an agreement with Boeing for delivery in 2024. A U.S. Air Force official told Congress last week that Boeing had proposed completing the aircraft by 2027.

In February, Mr. Trump toured the Qatari-owned 747-8 when it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, near his Mar-a-Lago resort. At the time, the White House said the president did so to better understand how the upgraded Air Force One aircraft would be configured.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a Washington-based good government organization, questioned whether the transfer violated the constitutional ban on U.S. officials receiving gifts from foreign governments without congressional approval.

"This certainly looks like a foreign country with which the president has personal business dealings is giving the president a $400 million gift right before he meets their head of state," spokesman Jordan Libowitz said.

Mr. Trump is expected to visit Qatar during his Middle East tour this week. The plane will not be gifted or accepted while Mr. Trump is in Qatar.

ABC reported, citing sources, that lawyers from the White House Counsel's Office and the Department of Justice have prepared an analysis concluding that the Department of Defense's acceptance of the plane as a gift and subsequent transfer to Trump's presidential library was legal and constitutional.