President Donald Trump’s $400 million luxury jumbo jet from Qatar could be ready in time for his birthday, according to a report.
The customized Boeing 747-8 gifted to Trump by the Qatari royal family—expected to replace Air Force One—is on track to be delivered to the president by the summer and could be used during celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary in July, according to The Wall Street Journal. Trump’s 80th birthday is on June 14.
The news will likely be well received by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who joked aboard Air Force One on Tuesday that the Qatari jet was sounding “much better” after the president’s usual plane experienced a minor electrical issue shortly after takeoff. The incident prompted Air Force One to return to Washington, D.C., out of an abundance of caution.
Trump and his team then boarded a backup Boeing 757 plane, an Air Force C-32 typically used for domestic travel to smaller airports, to fly to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum.
In a statement to the Journal, Leavitt said the scare on Tuesday evening proved that Trump needs an upgrade from the current Air Force One aircraft.
“The minor mechanical issue proves President Trump is right, and the new Air Force One will be a welcome donation to the United States Air Force, not just for the President, but for the entire AF1 crew,” Leavitt said.
Trump was widely criticized for accepting the $400 million gift from the Qatari royal family, a jet so extravagant it has been dubbed a “palace in the sky.”
The present was viewed by critics as a potential bribe from the Middle Eastern nation in exchange for favorable treatment from the president. The Constitution prohibits federal officials from accepting personal gifts from foreign heads of state without the consent of Congress.
White House lawyers believe they can get around this issue because the jet is technically being transferred to the United States Air Force before eventually being handed over to Trump’s presidential library foundation.
While there is no exact date for when Trump could receive the Qatari jet, the aircraft—painted in patriotic red, white, and blue—is on track to be delivered in time for celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence this summer.
“The Air Force remains committed to expediting delivery of the VC-25 bridge aircraft in support of the Presidential airlift mission, with an anticipated delivery no later than summer 2026,” the Air Force said in a statement to the Journal.
Trump is believed to want the Qatari jet to eventually serve as a centerpiece exhibit at his planned presidential library in Miami, Florida, after he leaves office. The idea appears to be lifted from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, where Reagan’s retired Air Force One is on display.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
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