President Trump defended accepting a $400 million aircraft from Qatar to temporarily replace Air Force One, arguing that the aircraft is more “impressive” than the current presidential plane.
“The plane that you are on right now is almost 40 years old,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity, in an interview Monday as the president traveled to Saudi Arabia aboard Air Force One.
“And when you land and you see Saudi Arabia and you see [the United Arab Emirates] and you can see Qatar and you see all these – and they have these brand new Boeing 747s, mostly, and you see ours next to it – this is like a totally different plane,” the president continued.
“It’s much smaller. It’s much less impressive, as impressive as it is,” Trump said of Air Force One, a modified Boeing 747-200B aircraft that was introduced into service in 1990. “And you know, we’re the United States of America – I believe that we should have the most impressive plane.”
Trump, 78, confirmed Sunday that the US would receive the $400 million “flying palace” Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar’s royal family “free of charge,” and that he planned to use the luxurious aircraft as an interim presidential plane while Boeing completes the next-generation Air Force One fleet following years of frustrating delays and cost overruns.
The 13-year-old plane, which would need to be modified to meet Air Force One standards, will potentially be transferred to Trump’s presidential library foundation when he leaves office, according to ABC News.
“‘We would like to make a gift. You’ve done so many things. And we’d like to make the gift to the Defense Department,’ which is where it’s going,” Trump said of how the offer was presented to him. “And I said, ‘Well, that’s nice.’”
The president said he doesn’t understand the criticism he’s getting over the diplomatic present.
“Some people say, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t accept gifts for the country.’ My attitude is, why wouldn’t I accept a gift? We’re giving to everybody else, why wouldn’t I accept a gift?” Trump argued. “Because it’s going to be a couple of years, I think, before the Boeings are finished.”
Trump allies including Florida Sen. Rick Scott took issue with the extravagant gift.
“I’m not flying on a Qatari plane,” Scott told The Hill. “They support Hamas. I don’t know how you make it safe.”
Other Senate Republicans like Josh Hawley were concerned over the jet’s safety.
“It would be better if Air Force One were a big, beautiful jet made in the United States of America,” said Hawley (R-Mo.). “That would be ideal.”
Others worried whether the gift is even lawful under the Constitution’s emoluments clause, which bars US officials from accepting gifts from foreign states without congressional consent.
“If Qatar gives a plane to the president of the United States, it seems to me that raises questions of whether the administration would be in compliance with the gift law,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said.
The Trump administration awarded Boeing a $3.9 billion contract during the president’s first term – in 2018 – to produce two new presidential planes for use as Air Force One.
The beleaguered project, which the president was personally involved in, is not expected to be completed until 2029.
The president insisted that those planes will be top of the line when ready.
“They’ll be wonderful when they’re finished,” Trump said.
The president’s full interview will air on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity” at 9 p.m.
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