President Trump is set to accept a luxury Boeing 747 jet as a gift from Qatar, according to multiple reports.
The Qatari royal family is set to hand over a Boeing 747-8 jet to the president’s administration, according to a Sunday report from ABC. The outlet also reported that Trump will be able to employ the plane as Air Force One up to right before the end of his second term, with the Trump presidential library foundation taking ownership of the jet later on, per sources.
In a statement to NewsNation, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not confirm the specifics of the deal but 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.”
ABC News reported the gift will come amid a Trump trip to Qatar next week, but both the government of Qatar and a White House official denied the timing.
However, Qatar’s media attache to the U.S. said in a Sunday statement that “Reports that a jet is being gifted by Qatar to the United States government during the upcoming visit of President Trump are inaccurate.”
“The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense, but the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made,” Ali Al-Ansari added in the statement.
The plane’s donation was first reported by ABC News.
In February, the president expressed frustration with Boeing due to delays in delivering Air Force One jets, saying to Republican governors he was “getting a little tired” when it came to the backup.
“I bought a plane. It’s really two planes, Air Force One. Now if Boeing would build the damn thing it would be nice, too. We don’t build like we used to. We don’t build too fast,” Trump said during a Republican Governors Association reception.
“I gave the order out about six years ago. They’re still waiting. Getting a little tired of it,” the president added.
ABC said White House and Justice Department attorneys concluded in an analysis that Trump could accept the plane as gift to the U.S.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House lawyer David Warrington found the gift “legally permissible” in the case of the ownership of the jet going to Trump’s presidential library when he finishes up his second round in the White House, according to sources, ABC News reported.
CNN reported that a source said the Boeing jet was already toured at a Palm Beach, Fla., airport by aides to the president and Trump himself this year.
The Hill has reached out to Boeing for comment.
Updated at 4:17 p.m. EDT