US accepts luxury jet from Qatar for Trump to use as Air Force One

On Wednesday, the Pentagon announced that the United States had accepted a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet from Qatar as a gift for President Donald Trump to use as a new Air Force One. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accepted the aircraft, and the Air Force has been tasked with rapidly upgrading it for presidential use. The jet, originally priced at $400 million, could cost a quarter of that as a second‑hand model. Trump dismissed ethical concerns, calling it “stupid” not to accept the plane. The gift raises questions about U.S. anti‑corruption laws and the Constitution’s requirements for presidential gifts. Democrats have criticized the move, and the Air Force has begun planning modifications, though the cost and timeline remain unknown amid a $5 billion budget for new Air Force One aircraft.