Topline
A Qatar-donated Boeing jet gifted to and used by President Donald Trump as a temporary Air Force One may no longer be headed to his presidential library, at least for now, according to multiple reports, with Eric Trump telling NBC News there are different plans for the aircraft.
Key Facts
An unnamed White House official told The New York Times that there is no final decision about whether the plane will go to the presidential library planned for construction in Miami, which is where the president initially said the jet would go after his term ends.
Eric Trump told NBC News earlier this week it was “not the plan at the moment” to store the Qatari jet in the library.
President Trump previously considered decommissioning one of the two older Air Force One jets so it could be displayed at the library, according to the Times, which noted it was unclear if that plan, which also involved displaying the Qatari jet, was still being considered.
The Qatari plane is owned by the U.S. government and would need to be designated as excess property to be donated or transferred to an outside property.
Big Number
$400 million. That is how much the plane is worth. However, security overhauls and other upgrades made to the aircraft are expected to increase its value by hundreds of millions of dollars.
Key Background
The U.S. government accepted the jet from Qatar last year in a highly controversial and unprecedented move, as it is unusual for foreign leaders to provide such a costly gift for presidential use. The deal sparked bipartisan backlash, with critics pointing to a clause in the Constitution prohibiting federal officials from accepting significant gifts from foreign governments without the approval of Congress. However, a 1990 statute allowed the Pentagon to accept contributions for defense programs, which is why the Qatari plane is owned by the Department of Defense and not Trump personally. Still, some lawmakers, including Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., have likened the gift to a “blatant bribe.” Trump briefly used the jet in early July to attend a NATO summit in Turkey. The president returned to the U.S. in the older Air Force One model after the Secret Service reportedly advised him to make the switch over security precautions, finding the new plane did not have all the defense features of the original. The jet is undergoing upgrades as Boeing works to deliver two new Air Force One planes, though the contract has not gone according to plan and cost the manufacturer hundreds of millions of dollars.
Further Reading
Boeing Lost Another $280 Million Last Quarter On Overdue Air Force One (Forbes)
Trump Says Qatar-Gifted Air Force One Will Undergo Another Upgrade For ‘Maxed Out’ Security (Forbes)