DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Palus Politicus Oatar gives Trump a Plane

What in the hell is this about

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tru...palace-sky-gift-trump/story?id=121680511

Isn't there a law against accepting this?

and the plane isn't even being accepted as a permanent Air Force 1 upgrade. Trump is KEEPING the plane after he leaves office.

This is so pathetic...and even more pathetic seeing people on social media defending this.

Yes, it's a direct gift to trump. Not the United States. Taxpayers will just get to pay for the overhaul it would need to be made in order for it to actually serve as Air force One. then trumop would get it for free as a parting gift when he leaves office..................

“It’s what’s inside the aircraft that matters,” said Kevin Buckley, a former Air Force official who oversaw the Air Force One replacement program. “The presidential mission equipment is unique. It’s hardened. It’s secure. It’s survivable.”

The aircraft would need to be torn down and rebuilt from the inside out — including overhauling electrical wiring, avionics and power systems — to install secure presidential communications, self-defense tech and electromagnetic shielding.

“The cost of a retrofit like this would likely be on the order of a heavy maintenance cycle for a VC-25A, which is in the tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars,” said former Air Force acquisitions chief Andrew Hunter.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/12/trump-qatar-air-force-one-taxpayer-costs-00342299

As for the direct gift to trump part..................................

Donald Trump Will Get To Keep Qatar Jet Even After He Leaves Office

President Donald Trump has accepted a luxury plane as a "gift" from Qatar's royal family that will be used as Air Force One―but will reportedly continue to use the jet even after he leaves office.

Officials from the Middle Eastern country said the gift was between governments rather than a personal present to Trump, noting the plane was being given by the Qatari Ministry of Defense to the Pentagon. The Boeing 747-8 jet will be retrofitted to make it suitable for use as the presidential plane, including the addition of heightened security features.

However, the jet will then be donated to Trump's presidential library when he leaves office, meaning he can continue to use it, according to multiple news outlets.

Newsweek has reached out by email, outside of usual working hours, to the White House seeking further information and comment.

Why It Matters

The nature of the gift is unprecedented, given its estimated $400 million value, and has drawn sharp legal and ethical scrutiny. Critics argue that it amounts to foreign influence and possibly violates constitutional restrictions on gifts to sitting presidents.

Ongoing debates center on whether this transfer is a thinly veiled benefit for Trump or a genuine attempt by Qatar to reinforce U.S. ties.
What To Know

The Qatari Ministry of Defense has offered the Boeing 747-8 to the Pentagon, which will retrofit it with state-of-the-art security and communications to serve as Air Force One, as first reported by ABC News.

Multiple media reports say the arrangement dictates that, when Trump leaves office, the plane will no longer belong to the government but will instead be transferred to Trump's presidential library foundation, creating the potential for continued personal use by the former president.

While White House lawyers and the Department of Justice have reportedly advised the administration that the deal is legal, critics and ethics experts argue the Emoluments Clause may require congressional approval for such a significant foreign gift.

The Emoluments Clause is a provision in the U.S. Constitution that prohibits federal officeholders from accepting any present, emolument, office, or title from any foreign state without the consent of Congress.

What People Are Saying

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on X, formerly Twitter: "Nothing says 'America First' like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar. It's not just bribery, it's premium foreign influence with extra legroom."

President Donald Trump responded to criticism on Truth Social: "So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump's administration is committed to full transparency."

What Happens Next

Qatari media attaché Ali Al-Ansari said the transfer remains "under consideration" and that "no decision has been made," according to ABC News.

Meanwhile, lawmakers and former government ethics officials are preparing for potential investigations and legal challenges, with some calling for congressional approval before the deal can close.

Trump's scheduled visits to Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries may bring further developments or official statements.

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-qatar-plane-air-force-one-2070761

And the shell game continues.

It is constitutionally not permitted except if approved by Congress.

The optics are so pathetic. Trump is saying no/fewer toys/dolls for children, then he gets his own 400 million dollar airplane.

Think about that.

Trump is a narcissist. He's the classic me, me, me. How many golf championships at his own clubs does he have-- who cares. He's an ego maniac. He obviously does not care about law and order- his felony convictions and his business dealings like lying about square footage when selling, lying about lots of stuff when paying taxes-- bottomline- American elected a con man as President....now we live with it. Is it what we deserve? Peace.

I deserve better. I voted for someone else.

Yet- you and I didn't work hard enough to prevent the man from being elected......Trump accepts plane for Qatar....should we be surprised- NOPE. Day ONE, Trump by executive order recended Biden ethics - government employees could not accept gifts from lobbyists--- under Trump government employees CAN accept gifts and after their governments jobs are done, they CAN accept employment from lobbyists--- drain the swamp was TRUMP mantra-- now he FULLY embraces FRAUD/ BRIBES.

What a President. PS- make sure you buy his cryptocurrency- he is out of toys now, now he's pitching his own money....WOW, what a high character President we have....PEACE.

I don't deserve it. I wasn't fooled by this guy. I knew better than to vote for Hitler.

Yet you are going to benefit, which I am glad you will as a fellow American citizen.

Please explain how any of us benefit?

Donald Trump’s $400 million Qatari gift jet can’t fly high as Air Force One just yet, retrofitting report says it’s grounded until after 2028; here are the reasons

Global DeskLast Updated: 13 May, 2025 11:37 PM -4 GMT

https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...re-the-reasons/articleshow/121164729.cms



Synopsis
A $400 million luxury Boeing, gifted to Donald Trump by Qatar, faces significant hurdles before becoming Air Force One. Retrofitting the aircraft with military-grade communication systems and security features will cost billions and take years. Experts deem it impossible to complete the upgrades before January 2028, raising questions about the true cost of this "free" gift.

A $400 million luxury Boeing aircraft, a gift to US president Donald Trump from Qatar's royal family, might appear to be ready for presidential on the surface, but it's far from ready to take to the skies as Air Force One.

The Boeing Aircraft Is Not Air Force One Ready Yet
A report revealed that the aircraft, while presented as a "free" gift, is accompanied by billions in secret costs and won't be ready to fly for presidential duties until long after Trump departs office in January 2028.

That will be because of the enormous and very specialized retrofitting the aircraft would require, all the way from military-level comms systems to electromagnetic shielding and in-flight refuelling, as per an Independent report.

According to the Independent, the $400 million Boeing 747-8 is currently being held in San Antonio, Texas, however, it is not known if any retrofitting has already been done.

While, the current and former US officials have told the Washington Post that retrofitting the jet to Air Force One requirements will take years of work and cost billions of dollars and completing the task before Trump leaves office in January 2028 would be “impossible,” reported the Independent.

However, a White House official said that it was too early to put a timeframe on how long the upgrades to the Qatari plane might take, reported the Washington Post.

Critics Say It’s a “Gift” With a Hefty Price Tag
Connecticut Representative Joe Courtney criticised Trump, saying, “This isn’t really a gift,” and also mentioned that, “You’d basically have to tear the plane down to the studs and rebuild it to meet all the survivability, security, and communications requirements of Air Force One. It’s a massive undertaking — and an unfunded one at that," quoted the Independent.

A Jet Fit for a Museum, Not the Skies?
The White House official also pointed out that Qatar offered to “donate a plane to the Department of Defense,” but the US president would not accept it this week during his stop in the country, along with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to the report.

The "very expensive” jet is expected to be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation in 2029 as an insider told CNN that Trump wants to use the plane as a private citizen, however, the president has denied, reported the Independent.


FAQs
Is Trump really getting a $400 million jet for free?
Yes, but “free” comes with strings attached as the plane needs billions in upgrades to be usable as Air Force One.

Can the jet be ready before Trump leaves office?
No. Experts say completing all the retrofits before January 2028 is impossible.

It's not a gift to President Trump. It's a gift to the USA.

I am glad some of you people weren't around when France gifted us the Statue of Liberty.

I agree that it isn't a gift to trump

When the trump presidency is over, who keeps the plane?

If the USA, then it is a gift to the USA
If trump, then it's a bribe

My understanding is it will go to his future Presidential Library. That is more or less under the Park Service, but more directly under the NARA...national archives and whatever it stands for.

If that is true, then I am fine with it. But I have heard that he will keep the plane himself after his presidency is over.

I freely admit that I don't know what will happen to the plane
But I stand by my previous comment:

If the USA, then it is a gift to the USA
If trump, then it's a bribe

Let me ask you this:
Knowing what you have seen from trump, which of those 2 do you think is more likely?
In all honesty, can you say that trump won't complete his presidency and say "mine"?

Benefit from a Grifter taking bribes from other countries? Are you freaking kidding me.

We have a criminal as the leader of this nation, and you wanna talk dollars and cents?

Trump will screw it up. He always does. Then he blames it on others...

He's turning America into a NAZI nation. Almost bordering on Commie and you think it's OK....

That's no benefit for anyone...

If its a gift to the USA Why wouldnt it stay as airforce one for years to come?

Trump is an ego maniac - and transactional. If the plane is for the USA or for him personally really does not matter - the intent and purpose of this outrageous "gift" is to stroke his ego and to get favorable terms.

Period.

That would make it a bribe. Or an attempt at a bribe.

Anyone claiming that Qatar is giving this out of love and the goodness of their hearts because despite links to financing terrorism, deep down they are really good people ... is an idiot. I know we have a lot of those, especially thost that hear what Trump says and then no matter what try to justify and rationalize it... so nothing will surprise me.

Now you guys are asking questions that can't be answered with any certainty. I don't know if it is going to rain next May 15th. My thinking is worry about it if it happens rather than conjure up a lot of "what if's".

I'm already worse off and trending even worse off, so I'm curious about this too.

The distinguishment here is that the SoL was a legitimate gift to the country. The President wasn't the only person allowed to tour and utilize the SoL. There is a notion of common sense and intuition that I feel is offended here. Let's be honest. Nikki Haley just said it best. If it were Biden, I think you would see an entirely different reaction.

Compound all the gift giving with the crypto scheming and it becomes intuitively easy to see what's going on.

Isn't that exactly what you're doing? If it is actually to end up as a gift to trump's presidential library nothing about that suggests it will continue to be used as Air Force One. nothing about that indicates it's a gift to "America". I've seen the cost to retrofit this jet to have the proper upgrades and security measures to be Air force One at upwards of a billion dollars. As such it appears the American people will be on the hook for a billion dollars in upgrades that by the time they're installed and the jet is ready for use will only be Air force One for a year, two at best and then it will no longer be in service for what's stated its intent is to be. But instead will be a gift to trump's presidential library.

And as for comparing to the Statue of Liberty? That is a ridiculous talking point taken straight from the right wing media and as per usual an analogy that makes no sense.

Millions of people visit the statue of Liberty. It was a gift directly given to "the America people". For them to see, visit and enjoy. I can go further if you would like to persist with that silly argument.

Qatar's Gift to Trump is unsold plane it's been trying to dump for years

Story by Theo Burman • 3h •
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/worl...een-trying-to-dump-for-years/ar-AA1EPbWR

The Boeing 747-8 being offered to U.S. President Donald Trump by Qatar once served the Qatari royal family and has been sitting unsold for years.

The jet, a lavishly configured version of Boeing's largest passenger aircraft, has been lingering without a buyer since being put up for sale in 2020, according to aircraft listings and aviation analysts.

Why It Matters
Trump has publicly expressed frustration with Boeing's yearslong delay in delivering two modified 747s for presidential use. The president has argued that by accepting Qatar's offer, he can bypass delays and save U.S. taxpayers money. Critics, however, fear that the acceptance would be unethical and even unconstitutional.

To meet Air Force One standards, the plane would need extensive modifications, including secure communications, nuclear blast shielding and missile defense systems.

What To Know
The aircraft was commissioned for Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, Qatar's former prime minister, and delivered in 2012 at a list price of $367 million—not including the interior, which likely cost tens of millions of dollars.

The customized interior, designed by Paris-based Cabinet Pinto, features sycamore and wacapou wood finishes, silk fabrics and space for 89 passengers in a configuration that includes two bedrooms and entertainment and meeting rooms.

Despite its luxury interior, the plane has failed to find a buyer since being put on the market in 2020, according to a report from Forbes.

The Qatar Amiri Flight, which manages the royal family's aircraft, still retains a fleet of similar planes. One of the two other 747-8s appears inactive, and a similar jet was gifted to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2018 after failing to sell.

Ben Schlappig, writing in the aviation blog One Mile at a Time in 2020, said the aircraft offered to Trump had flown 1,069 hours since its delivery in 2012, averaging about two hours per week.

John Goglia, a former member of the National Transportation Safety Board, told Forbes that giving the 747-8 to the U.S. would allow the Qataris to avoid maintenance costs that were only getting higher—with the 747 fleet shrinking worldwide and fewer mechanics available who know how to work on them.

What People Are Saying
Commenting on Qatar's offer, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday: "The Boeing 747 is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME! 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.

"Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done. This big savings will be spent, instead, to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country."

What Happens Next
While Trump is eager to accept the gift, bipartisan concerns in Washington over the ethics of the transaction remain and could spark legal challenges.

It's been reported that when he leaves office, he keeps the plane. If true, does he get to keep all the modifications that would have to be made?

Those that say it's like the statue of Liberty are out of their minds.

Do you think we'll be able to visit DC where the plane it stored, pay admission and walk through and around the Jet just like we can do with Lady Liberty!

I think not. So we put up whatever amount of money (3 or 4 hundred million to modify) and he keeps it? Where the hell is DOGE when you actually need it.

Oh, also just wanted to add the clarification that the acceptance of the Statue of Liberty was authorized and directed by CONGRESS...

What question can't be answered? I swear, MAGA would allow that bum to steal from us all... in fact, they are doing just that.

Which was the next place I was going if Peen insisted on trying to compare the two........

May 11, 1886: Message on the Statue of Liberty

Transcript

To the Senate and House of Representatives:

By a joint resolution of Congress approved March 3, 1877, the President was authorized and directed to accept the colossal statue of "Liberty Enlightening the World" when presented by the citizens of the French Republic, and to designate and set apart for the erection thereof a suitable site upon either Governors or Bedloes Island, in the harbor of New York, and upon the completion thereof to cause the statue "to be inaugurated with such ceremonies as will serve to testify the gratitude of our people for this expressive and felicitous memorial of the sympathy of the citizens of our sister Republic."

The President was further thereby "authorized to cause suitable regulations to be made for its future maintenance as a beacon and for the permanent care and preservation thereof as a monument of art and the continued good will of the great nation which aided us in our struggle for freedom."

Under the authority of this resolution, on the 4th day of July, 1884, the minister of the United States to the French Republic, by direction of the President of the United States, accepted the statue and received a deed of presentation from the Franco-American Union, which is now preserved in the archives of the Department of State.

I now transmit to Congress a letter to the Secretary of State from Joseph W. Drexel, esq., chairman of the executive committee of "the American committee on the pedestal of the great statue of 'Liberty Enlightening the World,'" dated the 27th of April, 1886, suggesting the propriety of the further execution by the President of the joint resolution referred to by prescribing the ceremonies of inauguration to be observed upon the complete erection of the statue upon its site on Bedloes Island, in the harbor of New York.

Thursday, the 3d of September, being the anniversary of the signing of the treaty of peace at Paris by which the independence of these United States was recognized and secured, has been suggested by this committee under whose auspices and agency the pedestal for the statue has been constructed as an appropriate day for the ceremonies of inauguration.

The international character which has been imprinted upon this work by the joint resolution of 1877 makes it incumbent upon Congress to provide means to carry their resolution into effect.
Therefore I recommend the appropriation of such sum of money as in the judgment of Congress shall be deemed adequate and proper to defray the cost of the inauguration of this statue.

I have been informed by the committee that certain expenses have been incurred in the care and custody of the statue since it was deposited on Bedloes Island, and the phraseology of the joint resolution providing for "the permanent care and preservation thereof as a monument of art" would seem to include the payment by the United States of the expense so incurred since the reception of the statue in this country.

The action of the French Government and people in relation to the presentation of this statue to the United States will, I hope, meet with hearty and responsive action upon the part of Congress, in which the Executive will be most happy to cooperate.

Grover Cleveland

https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/may-11-1886-message-statue-liberty

Repeating FOX News and White House talking points works just fine if you don't bother to look at facts.

They've embraced looking down on those they deem beneath them, and have no problem making them suffer for being inferior. And they aren't hiding it. It's like conservatives enjoy seeing people suffer, love adding insult to injury. They don't actually care if they themselves end up feeling the negative effects of whatever happens, just as long as they maintain the ability to look down on the same people when the dust settles.

It makes sense, because you really have to be a horrible person like this in order to support someone like Trump, another horrible person.

It's the same old same old. Those with the most will suffer the least and those with the least will suffer the most. Same as it ever was.

As it turns out, I'm not one of those with the least but I'm certainly not one with the most either. I'm just an average guy, pay my bills, made a good living, Invested well and saved a bit and stayed out of trouble (damn it, I missed all the fun).

But here's the deal, I'm gonna be one that covers all the money that those with the least can't cover, and all those with the most that are being exempted from paying. (thanks to Trump and the Ruling class Republican (MAGA, White Surpremist, KKK, white militia) Party) Anyone wanna tell me that's the right way to run a country, I'm glad to take issue with them. That's idiotic and I don't mind saying it out loud.


PS: Anyone wanna call me Elite, better get their head out of their ass.. Since when is the American Middle Class elite. We are the best, we are the ones that carry the rests on our backs, but Elite, Give me a freaking break!

I don't know. It's been a pretty good week for the USA.

Do you people choose to be on the wrong side of the issues or are you oblivious to what is happening?

A Good Week? You call me Oblivious?

Let's see. Trump wants to accept an 11 year old Aircraft... The only reason one may be needed is that in 2017, that damn fool threw Boeing into a tailspin with his idiotic demands for the next Gen Air Force One...

Then he befriends the president of a nation who should remain on the watch list.. This guy is letting them off the hook.

Rights of American Citizens are being trampled on by a dictator, Veterans are going un-cared for, Childrens cancer research is being curtailed, Secretary of Health says he should not be relied on for Medical advice, a doctor that has never practiced medicine is nominated to be surgeon general, secretary of Transportation, Homeland and the director of the FBI can't answer simple questions..

But hey, that's a good week...... Good week my ass.

The fascist state saved their Friday news cycle to take all the major L’s this week. He must have been referring to there NOT being a NEW daily bombshell fire to put out everyday. I think they skipped Monday.

Not even close to apples and oranges. Besides trump and his supporters hate equality and liberty for all.