The U.S. has formally received Qatar’s “unconditional donation” of a $400 million 747-8 Boeing jet for the Trump administration to use as Air Force One.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his Qatari counterpart earlier this month signed a memorandum of understanding which also allows Trump to use the plane once he leaves office, ABC News reported Monday.
That document describes the plane as a “bona fide gift” to the Defense Department, with the U.S. paying nothing for it.
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“This donation is made in good faith and in the spirit of cooperation and mutual support between the parties,” it states. “Nothing in this [memorandum of understanding] is, or shall be interpreted or construed as, an offer, promise, or acceptance of any form of bribery, undue influence, or corrupt practice.”
The memo adds that the plane is “not connected or otherwise related to any governmental decision and, as such, is not made, offered, promised or accepted because of any past, present or future official act or decision and is not intended to obtain or retain any improper advantage or to influence any official decision.”
The White House did not immediately respond to an inquiry from the Daily Beast. The Defense Department declined to comment.
When the “gift”–which was previously used by the Qatari royal family–was first announced in May, lawmakers, commentators on the right and left, and Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, were critical. Some questioned whether the arrangement was really “free” given Trump’s transactional approach to the presidency.
The cost of renovations was also a point of concern, given how aviation experts estimated a minimum price tag of $1 billion.
The Defense Department recently transferred nearly that much for a classified projected, The New York Times reported Sunday.
Air Force officials told the outlet that some of the money would be spent on renovating the aircraft that has been called a “flying palace.”
After Trump leaves office, ownership of the plane will transfer to the Trump presidential library foundation, Hegseth confirmed during a June Senate Appropriations Committee hearing. But that didn’t sit well with some lawmakers.
“Why would we ask the American taxpayer to spend upwards of $1 billion on a plane that would then only be used for a handful of months and then transfer directly to the president?” Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy asked. “That doesn’t sound like a wise use of taxpayer dollars.”
