Senate GOP weighs safety, legal concerns over Trump Qatar jet gift

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

05/12/25 7:12 PM ET


Senate Republicans on Monday indicated they have multiple concerns with President Trump potentially being gifted a new luxury jet from Qatar, ranging from safety to legal and ethical worries. Trump on Monday defended his potential acceptance of a new Boeing 747-8 airplane from the government of Qatar to serve as a replacement for the current pair of Air Force One aircraft, saying that it would be “stupid” not to do so.

But Senate Republicans made clear they are uneasy about the potential arrangement for a multitude of reasons, including over Qatar’s alliances in the region. “I’m not flying on a Qatari plane. They support Hamas,” said Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), an ardent Trump supporter. “I don’t know how you make it safe.” “‘Gosh, let me give you a plane.’ I mean, that seems pretty nice, but they support Hamas, so I don’t know.

I don’t know how you make it safe,” Scott continued, declining to say what Trump should do as the decision is up to him. “I don’t want the president of the United States flying on an unsafe plane.” Some Republicans also seemed worried about the president flying on an aircraft that was purchased by another nation-state. “It would be better if Air Force One were a big, beautiful jet made in the United States of America,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). “That would be ideal.”

The move comes amid ongoing delays and budget overruns at Boeing, which has been contracted to build two new jets to serve as Air Force One. The Qatari jet, valued at roughly $400 million, would be transferred to Trump’s presidential library following his term, the president said. While Republicans were not quick to criticize, they indicated they have broad concerns.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5296559-trump-qatar-jet-senate-gop/

[Botany]

1. What is discuss? It is a bribe. End of story.

Air Force 1 is just fine.

[Raven123]

2. It's all for show

They know this is a bribe. They are hoping to get Trump to decline the plane by framing it as a threat to him. We shall see.

[twodogsbarking]

3. Just say no you neutered morons.

[Puppyjive]

4. Such a bad idea

My military background as an aviator is telling me how bad the deal would be for the US. I don't think you could ever call that jet clean from foreign surveillance. It would have to be stripped down and rebuilt. The cost would be prohibitve. The tax payers would be funding this arrangement and if Trump keeps the jet, that would be fraud, waste and abuse in its purest form.

[mdbl]

5. Are they concerned?

bunch of morons.

[Ojerly]

6. Just another grift courtesy of

The Tawney Toddler. We the American taxpayers will be on the hook for the multi-million dollar upgrades it will take to refit the aircraft for presidential use. Then Fat Donnie is taking it for his "library". Screw that. Retro fit it to only have a half a tank of fuel and only enough parachutes for the Captain and crew

[nuxvomica]

7. The justification they outlined is just basic money laundering

That's why Trump was so exasperated that the "transparency" was being questioned. He likely launders money all the time and thinks that's how you make bribes legal when in fact that's a crime all by itself. It needs to be called out for what it is.

[patphil]

8. This airplane could never meet the requirements for and AF-1 aircraft.

You'd have to strip it down and start over.
As a gift, it's property of the Office of the President; Trump can never own it. So it gets to be parked someplace. Even then, the cost of keeping it in working order would be millions each year.
You might as well junk it and sell it for scrap.

[stollen]

9. All annual DoD ethics training must stop

if this goes through. Shouldn't be an issue since Trump has already purged the military of its top brass because he knows they would otherwise abide by their oath. Can't have that

[LetMyPeopleVote]

10. Turning Qatari 747 into Air Force One could cost $1 billion and take years, experts say

Plane has been available on an unprotected runway for a long time for various groups to plant spyware and tracking devices. This plane may have to stripped down to the frame to check for extra hardware/spyware. It will NOT be cheap to get this plane to be ready to be Air Force One.

Turning Qatari 747 into Air Force One could cost billion and take years, experts say

— MSNBC (@msnbc.com) 2025-05-13T22:28:19.405Z

Link to tweet

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/turning-qatari-747-air-force-one-cost-1-billion-take-years-experts-say-rcna206582

Converting a Qatari-owned 747 jet into a new Air Force One for President Donald Trump would involve installing multiple top-secret systems, cost over $1 billion and take years to complete, three aviation experts told NBC News.

They said that accepting the 13-year-old jet would likely cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars over time, noting that refurbishing the commercial plane would exceed its current value of $400 million. The project might also not be completed by the end of Trump’s term in 2029, at which time the plane is expected to be handed over to Trump’s presidential library foundation.

Richard Aboulafia, an analyst and consultant on commercial and military aviation, said he thought turning the Qatari jetliner into Air Force One would cost billions and take years.

“You’re taking a 747, disassembling it, reassembling it, and then jacking it up to a very high level,” said Aboulafia, a managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, a consulting firm......

The Qatari jumbo jet would have to be effectively dismantled, part by part, to ensure there were no listening devices, spyware or other security vulnerabilities that could allow foreign powers to eavesdrop on the president’s plane.

It would then have to be fitted with costly, sophisticated systems for secure government communications, midair refueling, missile defense, countering electronic jamming and protecting against electro-magnetic pulse attack. There would likely need to be quarters added for White House medical staff and the Secret Service.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

11. They NEVER could have expected THAT.

/s

Fucking hypocrites! This is on every single one of them.

[calimary]

12. This is getting pretty doggone sickening.

And we're not even halfway through the first year yet.