NYT: U.S. Accepts Lavish Jet From Qatar for Trump

WASHINGTON – The United States has formally accepted a luxury Boeing 747-8 jetliner from the government of Qatar for potential use as a future Air Force One for President Donald Trump, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.

According to the Times, the aircraft—estimated to be worth around $200 million—was previously used by Qatar’s royal family. Lavishly outfitted and configured for VIP transport, the jet is now set to undergo extensive modifications to meet the rigorous security and communications standards required for presidential travel.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accepted the gift “in accordance with all federal rules and regulations,” and that the Department of Defense would now “work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States.”

President Trump reportedly toured the plane earlier this year at Palm Beach International Airport, according to the report by Times journalists Eric Lipton and Eric Schmitt.

While the move has stirred controversy among critics who view it as ethically problematic or diplomatically risky, the administration insists the jet is being accepted on behalf of the U.S. government—not for Trump personally—and will be handled in accordance with federal law.

The Pentagon has acknowledged that the jet will require significant work before it can be used to fly the president, but officials have not offered a timeline for when, or if, the plane will become operational.