Air Force One: Donald Trump flies for the first time in plane gifted by Qatar

U.S. President Donald Trump recently took his first flight aboard a new presidential aircraft, a gift from Qatar. Trump lauded the plane, describing it as "beautiful" and emphasizing that it has saved taxpayer money.

The aircraft, valued at $400 million, was formally presented to the U.S. Department of Defense because U.S. law prohibits government officials from accepting such gifts from foreign states without congressional approval. Despite this, the acceptance of the gift has sparked criticism from Democrats and some prominent right-wing influencers within the Republican party, who have accused Trump of potential bribery.

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very beautiful

Trump, however, has framed the acceptance as a cost-saving measure. He asserted that the luxurious Boeing 747 cost U.S. taxpayers "very little," with the government only needing to cover the cost of upgrading the security features to presidential standards. He claimed the U.S. could not build such a plane itself due to the prohibitive cost. The U.S. Air Force had previously stated that the security upgrade would cost less than $400 million, roughly equivalent to the aircraft's price.

The plane is intended as a temporary replacement for the two aging presidential aircraft currently in use. Boeing is expected to deliver new aircraft designed for permanent Air Force One service by 2028, though with significant delays. Trump has indicated his desire for the Qatari-gifted plane to eventually reside in his presidential library, suggesting a usage period of only two years under current plans.

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very little