President Trump poised to accept "palace in the sky" as a gift from Qatar: Sources

In what may be the most valuable gift ever extended to the United States from a foreign government, the Trump administration is preparing to accept a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar.

It is to be available for use by Donald Trump as the new Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation, sources familiar with the proposed arrangement told ABC News.

The gift is expected to be announced next week, when Trump visits Qatar on the first foreign trip of his second term, according to sources familiar with the plans.

  • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
    0·
    2 days ago

    The plane will initially be transferred to the United States Air Force, which will modify the 13-year-old aircraft to meet the U.S. military specifications required for any aircraft used to transport the president of the United States, multiple sources familiar with the proposed arrangement said.

    Setting aside intelligence and influence concerns mentioned by others in the thread already, I can’t really see how this is faster than modifying planes already in the US. I mean, it’s a plane with luxury stuff. Surely the issue isn’t putting luxury stuff in the thing, but putting security stuff in.

    Hell, if the USAF has to start over from scratch, I’d think that it’d take longer, if anything.

    • Initiateofthevoid@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      0·
      2 days ago

      “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,”

      The possible future where Air Force One is Boeing quality with Qatari design and its critical security features are unnecessarily retrofitted at “move fast and break things” speed… and the only people who will ever use it are Trump’s camp-de-shit…

      I like it. It’s a nice future.

    • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
      0·
      2 days ago

      Oh, Cheeto wants it built too fast?

      I’d love for him to travel on a Boeing airplane that was built too fast on top of being a Boeing. It would solve so much shit in this world if he did

    • gedhrel@lemmy.world
      0·
      2 days ago

      I was under the impression that Musk was going to “fix” Boeing’s delivery of AF1. I think his suggestions included relaxing the security clearance for new hires and getting everyone working 60-hour weeks.

      News of that all went very quiet after the announcement though.