Presidential perk or taxpayer trap? $1 billion Qatari jet upgrade causes controversy as Department of Defense to pay the bill
Qatar gifted a Boeing 747 to the US president as “a loan” but upgrading the 13-year-old aircraft will cost close to six figures.
Opinions were divided this week when US president Donald Trump decided to accept a vanity gift luxury jet as an “unconditional donation” from Qatar. It is reported that Trump plans to use the plane as his flying office, Air Force One, during his time in office, then hand it over to his library before he steps down in January 2029.
The controversial move has since deepened.
The Boeing 747, described as a “flying palace”, is in need of an upgrade but the actual cost of refurbishing it would run into several hundred million dollars, and some estimates put the figure closer to a billion.
Current Air Force One fleet is over 30 years old
The current Air Force One fleet of two VC-25s have been operational since the late 1980s and are slated for retirement in 2028 and 2029. The US Air Force’s budget for the program is projected to be nearly $4 billion but Trump has threatened to cancel it if the overall cost exceeds that amount.
It has been mentioned that Trump is thinking about financing the upgrade of the Qatar 747 but channeling funds from the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program. The Pentagon has said that the nuclear missile program, which has shot 81% over budget, wouldn’t be immediately impacted because it was being restructured.
Money that could be better spent elsewhere
Some feel that its immoral to spend between $400 million and $1 billion (depending on whose estimate you believe) of US taxpayers’ money to refurbish a private plane. On Pod Save America, former Obama aides Jon Favreau and Jon Lovett discussed the issue.
“This is not a a billion dollars instead of the money that we were going to spend on the two Air Force One planes that were already being built," Lovett began. “Those still have to be built. So this is an extra billion dollars to refurbish this Qatari plane”.
He continued: “The Pentagon isn’t refurbishing Air Force One. What’s happening is that Donald Trump was given a gift of an airplane and he’s stealing a billion dollars from the government to do a runner".
It’s an issue that has left no one, not even Trump’s most loyal supporters, indifferent with some pointing out that Qatar could use the gift to solicit favor from the Trump administration.
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.