President Donald Trump is scheduled to receive a luxury plane dubbed as “flying palace” from Qatar's royal family, according to a new report.
Trump, 78, plans to use it as an Air Force One plane. The “flying palace” is dubbed the most opulent private jet in the world. The US President will use it as a temporary presidential jet while Boeing builds the next generation Air Force One fleet after years of exasperating delays and cost overruns.
According to ABC, which cited several people with knowledge of the situation, the Trump administration was bracing itself to take a $400 million luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo airplane from the Qatari royal family. The 13-year-old aircraft would then serve as the new Air Force One until just before the end of Trump's second term in the White House, after which it would be moved to his presidential library foundation by January 1, 2029, at the latest.
‘Flying palace’: Will Qatar make any formal announcement?
Qatar is likely to make an official announcement about the luxury gift next week, when Trump will be on his three-day Middle East tour, which includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
{{/usCountry}}Qatar is likely to make an official announcement about the luxury gift next week, when Trump will be on his three-day Middle East tour, which includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
{{/usCountry}}Trump took a tour of the luxurious aircraft in February while it was stationed at the international airport in West Palm Beach, ABC News reported.
The report further states that the jumbo jet would initially be given to the US Air Force so that the military arm could modify it to fit the requirements for presidential travel.
The US Air Force, which gets a sizable amount of the funds from federal taxpayers, would cover any expenses related to its relocation, the network added.
Can Trump accept opulent gifts?
ABC's sources claim that Trump's top White House lawyer, David Warrington, and his attorney general, Pam Bondi, have already determined that it is "legally permissible" for the US President to accept the opulent gift and then move it to his presidential library.
The Justice department stated that the gifted plane was not bribery because it was not subject to any formal act.
The Constitution, however, stipulates that “No Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration recently hired defense contractor L3Harris to service the Boeing 747, which had earlier been flown by the royal family of Qatar.
In 2018, the Trump administration gave Boeing a $3.9 billion deal to build two new presidential aircraft for Air Force One during his first term. As per Boeing's estimate from last year, the project will not be completed until 2029.