Democrats are raising serious concerns over a controversial airplane donation deal—citing ethical, national security, and constitutional issues. Prominent Republican voices, including Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, have also expressed unease.
However, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani defended the donation on Tuesday, insisting there was nothing improper about it. Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum, Al-Thani described the gift as “a normal thing that happens between allies.”
“I don’t understand why people interpret this as bribery or an attempt by Qatar to gain influence over the current administration,” he said.
He further dismissed the backlash, calling the controversy “manufactured,” and explained that the aircraft transfer was a formal agreement between the Qatari Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense. According to him, the deal was “carried out transparently and entirely within the law.”
The Trump administration has been working for years to replace the outdated Air Force One fleet, consisting of two Boeing 747-200B aircraft that first entered service in 1990.
Currently, Boeing is retrofitting two newer 747 jets to serve as the next versions of Air Force One—a multi-billion-dollar project that has faced repeated delays. The latest timeline pushes completion to 2027, an issue that has drawn ire from Trump.
“We’re very disappointed that it’s taking Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One,” Trump said last week.
Although Trump has said he would donate the Qatari aircraft to his presidential library after his term, converting it for official White House use would require years of work and cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.













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