Donald Trump Complains Air Force One
President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended his decision to use a luxury jet gifted by Qatar as the new Air Force One for the remainder of his presidency, amid growing backlash.
Speaking with Fox News host Sean Hannity during an interview aboard the aircraft, Trump addressed the controversy head-on, brushing off criticism and insisting the move was both practical and beneficial.
“This is a world-class jet,” Trump said. “It’s better, faster, and more efficient than what we had. Frankly, it saves taxpayers money.”
The decision to accept the jet — a high-end aircraft reportedly fitted with luxury interiors and advanced security systems — has sparked concern among ethics watchdogs and political opponents, who argue it raises serious questions about foreign influence and presidential transparency.
Despite that, Trump remained unapologetic, describing the jet as a “gesture of respect” from a close ally and suggesting it symbolized strengthening ties between the U.S. and Qatar.
“The Qataris understand strength and success,” he said. “They wanted to show appreciation for what we’ve done together.”
Critics, however, argue the optics of accepting such a gift from a foreign government are troubling, especially amid ongoing scrutiny of Trump’s international business dealings and diplomatic priorities.
The White House has not released full details of the arrangement, but officials maintain that the jet was vetted for security and meets all standards for presidential transport.
‘The plane that you are on right now is almost 40 years old,’ Trump remarked, referring to Air Force One and noting that the Boeing planes purchased by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar were ‘brand new 747s.’
‘You see ours next to it. This is like a totally different plane. It’s much smaller and less impressive, as impressive as it is,’ Trump said. ‘We are the United States of America I believe we should have the most impressive plane.’
He expressed his frustration that Boeing had still not delivered the new Air Force One, even though he signed the deal to order new planes.
‘It’s pretty much the same plane with a new paint color if you want to know the truth,’ he said. ‘We are painting it red, white, and blue like the American flag which is incredible. Much more beautiful and much more representative of us.’
The 747-8 offered by the Qataris is considered more fuel efficient and quiet but it is most notable for it’s luxurious interior, designed by famed French design firm Alberto Pinto Cabinet.
‘I’m not happy with Boeing,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to hurt Boeing but they are very late with the plane.’
Trump said he expressed his complaints about Air Force One to Qatari leaders who indicated they wanted to help.
‘Some people say you shouldn’t accept gifts,’ Trump says. ‘My attitude is why wouldn’t I accept a gift, we are giving to everybody else, why wouldn’t I accept a gift?’
Trump said he thought it was a ‘beautiful gesture’ from Qatar and decided to accept it.
‘There are those that say we shouldn’t be accepting gifts in the Defense Department and I would say only a stupid person would say that,’ he concluded.
Trump said the United States spent trillions of dollars to help secure nations overseas, including in Qatar, so it only made sense to accept gifts in return.
‘We give a lot of gifts, too many gifts to be honest with you,’ he said. ‘We give gifts to defend countries that wouldn’t even exist, all over the world countries wouldn’t even exist.’
The gift of the Qatari plane would be complicated as it would need to be heavily retrofitted to meet the security and infrastructure necessary to transport the president of the United States.
Air Force One has unique secure communications systems, midair refueling capabilities, missile defense systems, and electronic jamming capabilities to protect the president of the United States.
The new planes contracted to Boeing to serve as Air Force One, however, have been fraught with delays, despite the initial contract delivery date of 2024.
Currently, the Boeing supplied Air Force One planes are expected to take as a long as 2029 until they are delivered. Costs for the project have now ballooned to $5.3 billion despite the original $3.9 billion estimate.