Trump Wants a New Air Force One So Badly He’s Refurbishing a Qatari Plane

President Trump is done waiting for Boeing.

Frustrated by delays on Boeing’s work to deliver a new Air Force One, Trump has commissioned a smaller defense contractor to ready an interim presidential plane by year’s end.

Boeing will continue plugging away on a pair of Air Force One replacement jets, which have fallen so far behind that Trump might not get to fly on them while in office.

The U.S. government has commissioned L3Harris to overhaul a Boeing 747 formerly used by the Qatari government. The Melbourne, Fla.-based company is tasked with retrofitting the plane with certain specialized systems to transform the luxury aircraft into a presidential jet, some of the people said.

Trump wants to have the plane available for use as early as the fall, some of the people said. He has regularly asked for updates. On April 18, the CEO of Boeing came to the Oval Office to meet with Trump, people familiar with the meeting said.

In his first term, Trump commissioned two new presidential planes to replace a pair of aging jets, which are among the world’s most complex aircraft with communications and defensive systems that serve as a command and control platform for the commander in chief. Boeing won the $3.9 billion contract and at one point was expected to have the planes ready by last year. But it is now years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget, after a series of supplier, engineering and manufacturing setbacks.

The interim jet would complement the current pair of aging, heavily modified Boeing 747 jets that are known by the military as VC-25A aircraft and referred to as Air Force One when the president is on board.

Before Trump’s inauguration, White House Military Office and senior Air Force officials considered canceling Boeing’s contract for the new planes, according to people familiar with the matter. White House officials under Trump have also discussed whether they can sue the plane manufacturer, some of the people said.

The U.S. Air Force has long wanted a third jet to serve as a backup when one of the current pair is undergoing maintenance, according to people familiar with the matter.

Dictators love self-glorification.

Is it going to make a fly-by during the Birthday Parade for Dear Leader?

Even he knows better than to get into a Boeing.

This will end in tears.

I'm sure the plane will be loaded with espionage equipment and listening devices that "L3Harris" will not be searching for when they refurbish the thing. MAGA, indeed.

[quote] The U.S. government has commissioned L3Harris to overhaul a Boeing 747 formerly used by the Qatari government. The Melbourne, Fla.-based company is tasked with retrofitting the plane with certain specialized systems to transform the luxury aircraft into a presidential jet, some of the people said.

Hopefully, they'll cut a lot of corners to get the plane ready for him quickly. *crossing fingers*

What's a little missing part, here and there?

Is the plane going to be painted high gloss gold?

I predict a Michael Jackson gold bullion jacket.

I can't predict, but hope a Michael Jackson personal physician like Conrad Murray for both Musk and Trump... They all deserve each other.

I'm pretty sure he's not our first mentally ill president, but still.

Un-fucking-believable.

There goes all the DOGE money.

Boeing can't find its ass with both hands these days.

Total fuckup company.

So ... no wonder.

What does this have to do with lowering grocery prices?

r13, but what Boeing was good at was hiring unqualified, young contract Managers who had no idea how to manage contracts who ended up having Boeing write their reports.

The corruption in government contracts is where all the cash is, and Big Business knows how to write themselves juicy checks.

It's probably a "gift" .

It is a “gift” to Trump personally. A fucking 747. The biggest bribe in human history and he doesn’t even bother to hide it.

Technically, it’s a gift to the Trump Presidential Library foundation, but who are they kidding?

Politically stupid, but it demonstrates that he thinks he exists outside of politics.

He has a death wish. The reason the planes take so long is they are loaded with countermeasures.

Concepts of countermeasures.

A lot of the customization is about communications security. He doesn’t give a shit if our enemies are listening to him since they are his friends.

He just wants a fast plane to Dubai when he steals all of our money.

His corruption is off the charts. Most federal employees aren't even allowed to accept a donut but he's accepting this "gift" from Qatar.

Trump really doesn't GAF anymore. He won't have to run for re-election, so why not grab as much loot as possible?

[quote] This will end in tears.

Or cheers, depending on who's on the plane.

Short of rebuilding the plane from scratch, I can't see how they could possibly trust that the plane isn't somehow rigged for disaster or at least bugged.

At least if Boeing were making the plane, you'd know that some level of security and precautions were taken.

If this doesn’t offend his base, they are beyond all hope.

[quote] If this doesn’t offend his base

Oh my sides! They're a cult and will make excuses for whatever he does.

I want to see all the gold leaf and enginges falling into the Potomac as a fat orange human missile falls screaming through the Reagan International terminal roof.

I don’t know. A half-billion dollar bribe from a Muslim nation might get the base to notice.

conflict of interest, much?

Our leader made a great deal ! And look at how it triggers those fucking libs ! We're getting so much richer thanks to President Trump !

The next administration should confiscate it as a violation of the emoluments clause and sell it.

What “next administration?”

[quote]This will end in tears.

If it falls from the sky while he’s on board, those tears will not be mine.

Hi can the secret service and the security agencies possibly sign off on this?

How can the secret service and the security agencies possibly sign off on this?

Would one of you tech whizzes create a graphic of a tombstone with "Emoluments Clause" on it?

TIA

I liked Qatar!

He needs reliable transportation between golf courses. He's not going to spend one more second in boring old DC than he absolutely has to.

[quote]Technically, it’s a gift to the Trump Presidential Library foundation, but who are they kidding?

Presidential Library? Unless its a Library of Presidential Fuckups, he couldn't fill a kiosk with the accomplishments from both of his administrations.

Told ya.

Trump has a new small bronze sculpture in the oval office depicting himself with a raised fist at his attempted assassination attempt.

Full of useless right wing books that were bought up as subscription gifts to donors, but in the real world became zero-value remainders.

And the grift goes on…. please read the MAGA justifications for this. They are (almost) unbelievable.

These people are bizarre and this country is a toilet.

He's a Gimme Guy.

Preet Bharara:

Can girls have 30 dolls if they’re a gift from Qatar

Refurbishment of Bettina's apartment

Buy American! Viva Liberation Day!

Trump calls Democrats, "WORLD CLASS LOSERS!!"

Rofl.

[italic]President Trump attacked Democratic lawmakers for criticizing his upcoming receipt of a luxury Boeing jet from Qatar.

In a Sunday night post on Truth Social, the president dismissed critics of a reported plan for Trump to receive a Boeing 747-8 airplane from the government of Qatar.[/italic]

[bold]“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA,” Trump wrote.[/bold]

This is clearly a $400 million dollar bribe and he gets to keep the plane after he leaves office. And the bitcoin and the meme coin and all the other things which we don't know about.

This is the most corrupt government in US history.

Even Laura Loomer thinks so and she's very disappointed in Trump who she would die for...

"If you want to know what God thinks about money, look at the people he gave it to."

R3 the former Qatari government airplane IS a Boeing 747.

[quote]This is the most corrupt government in US history.

Some talking head said a few weeks ago that for all the damage Trump is doing to America, the real story told about the Trump administration 20 years from now will be the staggering amounts of corruption.

[quote] Some talking head said a few weeks ago that for all the damage Trump is doing to America, the real story told about the Trump administration 20 years from now will be the staggering amounts of corruption.

I think the even BIGGER story, is how the US Congress, the US Supreme Court, and the American people let it happen.

Trump's corruption could not happen without the consent of the above groups, or at least turning a blind eye to it.

He gets away with it because he can.

[quote]This will end in tears.

One hopes from MAGA at the show funerals.

Email your senators and representative and inform them that if they approve this grift by Trump for a new plane (what's wrong with the current AF1?!) that they can FORGET ever receiving a future vote from you.

Just like the Trump Foundation itself, the Trump Presidential Library Foundation will be subject to all kinds of hanky pinky. He and Family will get to use it on any ostensible Library Foundation travel. Or maybe t will be part of the Library as a display? It is a gift to him.

This is absolute insanity from a security angle, but what else is new.

Trump just said he came up with a new word "equalize."

It'll never happen. Saner heads will get Qatar to change their minds, for their own sake.

r59, Gay Hanky Code; Pinky hanky left- dildo fucker, pinky hanky right-dildo fuckee.

I love typos/malapropisms that make more sense than the intended word.

The oil-producing ME states must love Trump: finally, no more struggle, no more talking about “human rights.” It’s just about gold ornamentation. The only problem is that they have set the bar so high: who else can casually fork over $400 million?

Imagine if Obama had accepted such a “gift.” You’d hear even louder shrieking than when he wore a tan suit.

r62 really has learned nothing since January 20th this year

So much for supporting American industries.

Sounds about right.

[QUOTE]Here’s what happens next. Intel Community will tell Trump it will take, say, six months to disassemble the plane and check it for surveillance devices. Trump will say screw that and just fly in it.

How much taxpayer cash will it take to rip apart this plane and make sure it's AF1 suitable?

Tell us again how Donnie 2 Dolls is saving America money, MAGAt trolls.

Records are coming out that AG Pam Bondi, who authorized the $4oo million luxury-jet gift for Trump from Qatar, previously was a lobbyist for Qatar, receiving over $100,000 MONHLY!

Pam Bond whored herself out to Qatar. What a shocker!

The thing that people under Trump may not realize that the immunity the Supreme Court conferred on Trump does not apply to them.

[quote]what's wrong with the current AF1?!

That's what's really annoying me about the coverage of this, r58 - barely any media are actually pointing out that the current AF1 planes are still fine to be used until their proper replacements will be ready.

What are the rumors of Pam Bondi and the Qatari government that people are whispering about?

When his term is over he's taking it with him for his private use.

Joke's on you...his 'term' will never be over.

I bet he used our social security to buy it.

This will never happen. He is trying to strong arm Boeing into letting him cut the line. That might work, but there is no way that he is going to be allowed to use a used, foreign jet to run the affairs of state from the air. There are too many legal, security, and ethics concerns for that to happen. And if it does happen, he ain't keeping it when he leaves office.

Allowed? Who's going to stop him? Legal, security and ethics concerns? I mean...come on. Have you just woken up after five months?

I wonder how Miriam Adellson frels about this. 🤔 Does she have a luxury 747 to counter offer against the Qataris?

R74, for two years Bondi was a registered lobbyist for Qatar. She was paid $15,000 a month.

Trump is visiting Saudi Arabia tomorrow May 13, I can hear trump now. The Qatari's gave me a $400 million dollar plane, surely you aren't going to be out done by the Qatari's.

Some how Trump supporters seem to think Trump is saving taxpayers money with the plane, it isn't it is costing taxpayers more. This plane will have to be refurbished with the latest communications and defense mechanisms and the US is still buying the two new Air Force Ones Boeing is currently building projected to be ready in 2029.

[quote]Trump is visiting Saudi Arabia tomorrow May 13, I can hear trump now. The Qatari's gave me a $400 million dollar plane, surely you aren't going to be out done by the Qatari's.

That it wouldn't be a surprise to us if he said something like that is embarrassing. No other U.S. president would ever behave that way.

He thinks the SCOTUS is going to back every self-serving decision he makes.

And they aren't.

r85 r86, We have yet to see a major split because so far the Catholic Stooges are living up to expectations.

They're saying the refurbishment of this raghead plane will cost the American taxpayers billions of dollars.

[quote]for two years Bondi was a registered lobbyist for Qatar. She was paid $15,000 a month.

You left a one off of that, r81.

[quote]Bondi worked as a foreign lobbyist for the nation of Qatar, earning $115,000 a month in the role which she held in 2020 and in the run up to the World Cup in 2022.

Corrupt to the hilt.

After ten years of hearing about Clinton's emails and Hunter Biden, the Republicans are spineless hypocrites and toadies.

This Administration ignores the constitution and the law.

We are already in a dictatorship.

Why is R88 allowed to make such a disgusting ethnic slur?

If the same was said against any other race or ethnicity here, that person would have been banned.

Am I right?

Trump should've watched "Protocol." Goldie Hawn's character would've taught him that it's unlawful to accept gifts from foreign entities. She turned down the car the Emir bought for her.

He'll never get to use it as president. The required retrofitting and modifications to make it into AirForce One will take too long before he's out of office.

[quote] If the same was said against any other race or ethnicity here, that person would have been banned.

I don't know. I've seen the "n" word here a couple of times recently. Not to mention many instances of racist stereotypes.

It’s not just the jet. Yesterday (with the assistance of Qatar, of course), Hamas released the last living U.S. hostage in Gaza, “as a show of good will.” Qatar can speak Trump’s “one hand washes the other” language. The Emir of Qatar has specific things he wants from Trump. I’m not sure what, but we should get a clue tomorrow when Trump arrives in Doha.

[quote] for two years Bondi was a registered lobbyist for Qatar. She was paid $15,000 a month.

Correction R81 - Bondi was paid $115,000 per month for 2 years by Qatar.

R96 Maybe Blondi was a porta potty!

Local news poll:

Do you think it was appropriate or inappropriate for President Trump to accept a free 747 from Qatar?

Inappropriate = 65%

Appropriate = 21%

I'm not sure = 9%

Other / No opinion = 5%

Based on 2,959 responses

Yes its inappropriate, but I like his policies and would vote for him again

He wants that plane for his own property after he leaves office and he wants the Us taxpayers to kit it out just like AF1. If he gets away with this he and everyone involved in this scheme should go to prison for life.

Another reason this whole thing will never come to pass. They couldn't even begin to retrofit the plane until after 2028.

r101 And? Do you think this is really about Air Force One? This is about Trump wanting a free plane and getting the government to pay to have it upgraded.

I'm well aware of that, but once he's out of office there's no way the US government is going spend the kind of money needed to turn that plane into a copy of AF1. There's also no way they're going to let him steal that plane once he leaves office. It it's actually donated it will belong to the American people, not him.

r103 Which is why he's doing it now, while he's in office. And who is this "they" who will apparently stand up to him and why haven't they done so already?

Because he's a sitting POTUS who they know is mentally ill and capable of causing all kinds of problems for them. No one is going to truly stand up to Trump until he is 100% out of power. And once that happens you'll likely be shocked at how many republicans in Congress will change their tunes.

For Trump the plane is all about the bling. I don't thing he cares about security and no one is around to stop him if they gave him the keys to it tomorrow with minimal modifications. These people are ultra-corrupt. But The American People do not care.

Mentally ill? But Biden didn’t recognize Clooney!

R106 The American people *do* care. The problem is that the Republican party is doing its best to divert attention away from the blatant corruption of the Trump administration and silence our voices.

Very Hitler-esque.

r105 Again, he's going to ensure everything is in place before he leaves office. But by all means, put your faith in the GOP to undo Trumpism. They did so well doing that after the 2020 election.

[quote]The American people *do* care

Then what are they doing about it?

Guess you haven't been paying much attention, have you?

[Quote] Even he knows better than to get into a Boeing.

This creature and the one at r13 apparently don’t know how to read.

r111 And they've achieved what?

R113 Attention.

And that will help to dethrone the Republicans in the midterm elections.

So I answered your question.

Tell me what *you're* doing and what *you've* achieved.

Gotta love people like R110. They ask a question, they get an answer, but then they have to try and shift the goal posts with a "yeah, but..." follow up.

So very MAGAt-ish.

[quote]No one is going to truly stand up to Trump until he is 100% out of power. And once that happens you'll likely be shocked at how many republicans in Congress will change their tunes.

I was shocked when they abandoned principles they espoused for decades and fell in line with Trump. Now I know they have no principles and will not bat an eye when they revert back to standard conservatism ... until the next charlatan comes along to seduce their base.

r115 The fact you're already resorting to ad hominem shows you know your own argument isn't at all convincing. Also, relying on fair and free elections still existing next year is fairly moronic.

what does that even mean?

Hmm, seems like the possibility of a mechanic making an "unfortunate error of judgment" that results in the plane blowing into a million pieces in mid-air is possible in this scenario. I'm not suggesting it will or should happen, just suggesting it could *possibly* happen, should something go stealthily amiss during a routine maintenance check. Tee hee.

R117 MAGAts hate it when they get called out on their bullshit.

Forget the communications and anti-missile capabilities etc. Does Qatar’s jet have the in-flight refueling feature like Air Force One(s)? This whole thing is ridiculous in so many ways.

R117 The fact that you're doing absolutely nothing but posting like a prisspot tells us all who the moron is, don't ya think?

The plane will need fighter plane escorts wherever it goes.

This airplane issue is so fucking corrupt. The entire issue will quietly go away. Trump will not be able to accept it.

“Air Force One is designed to be survivable in all kinds of environments, including a nuclear war," he added, noting the jet's ability to tolerate the electromagnetic pulse from a nuclear blast is embedded in the jet's wiring and systems from the bottom up. "That's not something you add on."

It’s amazing and bizarre that the most selfish, terrified man in the world wants to give up the safest planes available for some Qatari cast-off.

I like to think of it as Trump's coffin...

Lucky he didn’t go to Graceland first or he’d be busy commandeering the Lisa Marie.

r124, one hopes

R59 hanky pinky is my drag name.

[quote]It’s amazing and bizarre that the most selfish, terrified man in the world wants to give up the safest planes available for some Qatari cast-off.

In this case, his stupidity trumps his self-interest and fear.

Per Forbes the plane is a 13 year old white elephant that the Qataris couldn’t sell and is too expensive to fly (even for them). They unloaded it on the stupid son of a bitch because of his plane envy insecurity .

This story keeps getting better.

They gave one to Erdogan already. It’s not even a big deal! Trump is lame.

What a maroon!

Does Trump's new plane come with a McDonald's window?

Are the rules different on a Ka-Tari plane?

Do you get to have sex with your beautiful daughter on the plane? Do Ay Rabs do that? I’m just asking.

R134, so several of these beastly creations were wasting away in the hangers. Then the Qataris decided to ship them off as “gifts” to other leaders before the awful decor became completely out of date.

[quote]before the awful decor became completely out of date.

It was never *in* date.

So the Qataris are basically used car salesmen.

I’d suggest that it was the awful decor that sold him on it in the first place - all that “gold”! It’s the most beautiful plane in the universe!

I was molested on Air Force One. YOU KNEW, MAMIE. YOU KNEW.

Qatari, Ferengi.

This story is getting more grotesque: it turns out that Qatar didn't randomly offer Trump this jet. He sent out his special envoy Steve Witkoff search the Middle East to FIND a luxury jet and then "suggest" to Qatar (which relies entirely on the U.S. for military protection) that it donate the plane to Trump.

It's not even like having Tony Soprano as President. It's more like having miserable, needy Paulie as President.

Yup^

The United States officially accepted a luxury jet to use as Air Force One from Qatar, the Department of Defense confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday.

"The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations," Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement.

"The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States," he added.

Troy Meink, the secretary of the Air Force, said in a Tuesday Senate hearing that the Air Force would be taking the lead on making sure the aircraft is up to security standards so it can transport President Donald Trump.

"The secretary of defense has directed the Air Force to basically start planning to modify the aircraft," Meink responded when asked about the Air Force's role in a transfer of the Qatari-owned jet to the U.S. "We are postured to do that."

An Air Force spokesperson told ABC News that it will award a contract to modify the Qatari jet to do so, noting that "details related to the contract are classified."

Meanwhile, Boeing will continue to build two new versions of the presidential plane, which have endured delays for years.

A Poeing? Vinkers grossed.

r146 So much for all the posters telling us this would never happen and that it'd be blocked, etc.

You must feel very proud R148.

R148 is right, though.

It speaks to a larger point.

Why do people here keep underestimating Trump?

Oh, he'll never get elected. Oh, he'll never get that bill passed. Oh, the military will never let him take the plane.

Wrong. Wrong. And wrong again.

You keep being willingly blind to all of the shit he's pulling, and in the meantime he's getting away with it all.

When will some of you WAKE THE FUCK UP???

The other thing you keep saying is that Trump will never serve a third time.

I'm waiting for that one, so that you can once again hear the words: "I told you so!"

How about this:

[quote]The most troublesome loan in Donald Trump’s empire, a $115 million mortgage against a Wall Street skyscraper, comes due in exactly 46 days. How the president covers that bill will reveal a lot about his current financial standing—and how politics is shaping it.

[quote] Trump controls the building but not the land on which it sits, long held by a German shipping family. The president currently pays $2.5 million a year in ground rent, but that expense is set to skyrocket to an estimated $16 million in 2033, potentially wiping out all of his $9 million of operating income. As a result, the asset is now worth about $85 million, according to Forbes estimates, or $30 million less than the remaining balance on the loan.

[quote]… Trump has around $600 million in legal liabilities, and he has posted nearly $300 million of deposits and bonds associated with those obligations.

[quote] Trump could find someone willing to refinance the debt…. The president has a history of weaseling his way out of trouble

There you go

“I’m not happy with Boeing!” See below.

It’s a get away plane to fly to the Middle East to live in exile when he can no longer hide from the things he’s done.

He’s not happy with Boeing but he’s accepting the bribe of a second hand Boeing aircraft which will need to be stripped right back to its framework and then retrofitted to meet the specific design requirements to perform as the Presudential transport. If there are any available people to do this work, which will take years, and who are already full time working on the two existing AF1 747s.

Brilliant idea! What could go wrong?

*Presidential

r151, Go Fund Me from Saudi Arabia?

Done Deal. Fascists always get their way.

I doubt he has any interest in the plane for AF1 - he wants it his personal use when term "ends" - IF - that ever happens. Free plane, taxpayer funded rehab - it works out well for him.

Trump Presidency biggest ripoff/grift in nations history with entire family benefiting.

He gets the plane even if taxpayers fund refit? what a grift.

Baby Trump Accepts Gift of Qatar Plane

There was one thing wrong with the video @ R161. The bowl of grapes should have been replaced with Big Mac wrappers.

I wonder what the next ‘’Gift’’ to Trump will be and from who?

That plane gift just might surprise him like a Jokey Smurf gift.

I hope that it takes so long to retrofit the plane that for years go by and the next President doesn't let him keep it

Then he’ll just fly off in it, on the morning of the next inauguration

Maybe he'll pass away before the plane is retrofitted.

Sneaking off with classified documents is one thing, R166, but a $400+ million red, white, and blue (if not "gold") plane with "Heir Force Won" in big gaudy letters is another.

Besides, you'll have to find it first, Fat Boy!

Hardball!

Oh Its On-We got a Dictator! ( with little hands to match his little dick)

I bet dump retracts this one. Too ridiculous.

Dump said 747 worth 400 million when it’s really worth 150-180 million.She’s such a liar.