Tag Archives: Air Force One

Daily Mail: Donald Trump complains Air Force One ‘much smaller and less impressive’ than Middle East planes

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‘The plane that you are on right now is almost 40 years old,’ Trump remarked, referring to Air Force One and noting that the Boeing planes purchased by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar were ‘brand new 747s.’

‘You see ours next to it. This is like a totally different plane. It’s much smaller and less impressive, as impressive as it is,’ Trump said. ‘We are the United States of America I believe we should have the most impressive plane.’

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The 747-8 offered by the Qataris is considered more fuel efficient and quiet but it is most notable for it’s luxurious interior, designed by famed French design firm Alberto Pinto Cabinet. 

King Donald appears to be suffering an acute case of Boeing envy.

Only the best for His Majesty, the Emir of Washington!

Donald Trump says Air Force One ‘much smaller’ than Middle East planes
President Donald Trump on Tuesday again defended his decision to accept the gift of a luxury jet from Qatar to serve as Air Force One during his remaining years as president.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14709689/donald-trump-air-force-one-qatar-gift-middle-east.html

Mediaite: Trump Confronted on Air Force One by NY Times Over $2 Billion Crypto Deal

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President Donald Trump was confronted aboard Air Force One by New York Times White House reporter Jonathan Swan over a $2 billion foreign deal that’s being paid for with Trump crypto.

Trump is currently on a four-day swing through the Persian Gulf region with stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, which has been dogged by the controversy over his eager acceptance of a $400 million “flying palace” from Qatar to serve as Air Force One.

The trip has also drawn attention to Trump’s family businesses, including the cryptocurrency firm World Liberty Financial.

That company’s USD1 currency was selected by state-owned UAE firm MGX to pay for a $2 billion investment in Binance earlier this month. The deal was announced by WLF co-founder Zach Witkoff, son of Trump Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff.

Trump plays dumb:

JONATHAN SWAN: An Emirati government-backed firm did a $2 billion deal using the Trump digital coins. How did that deal come about?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I don’t know anything about it. I really don’t know anything about it. But I’m a big crypto fan, I will tell you. I’ve been that from the beginning, right from the campaign. I’m a believer in crypto.

Trump Confronted on Air Force One by NY Times Over $2 Billion Crypto Deal
Trump was confronted aboard Air Force One by New York Times reporter Jonathan Swan over a $2 billion foreign deal that’s being paid for with Trump crypto.
Trump Confronted on Air Force One by NY Times Over $2 Billion Crypto Deal

Associated Press: Trump’s plan to accept free Air Force One replacement from Qatar raises ethical and security worries

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For President Donald Trump, accepting a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar is a no-brainer.

“I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer,” the Republican told reporters on Monday. “I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’”

Critics of the plan worry that the move threatens to turn a global symbol of American power into an airborne collection of ethical, legal, security and counterintelligence concerns.

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But security is the primary concern when it comes to presidential travel. The current Air Force One planes were built from scratch near the end of the Cold War. They are hardened against the effects of a nuclear blast and include a range of security features, such as anti-missile countermeasures and an onboard operating room. They are also equipped with air-to-air refueling capabilities for contingencies, though it has never been utilized with a president on board.

A former U.S. official briefed on the Air Force One replacement project said that while it would be possible to add some features to the Qatari jet, there was no way to add the full suite of capabilities to the plane on a tight timetable.

Trump’s plan to accept free Air Force One replacement from Qatar raises ethical and security worries
For President Donald Trump, accepting a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar is a no-brainer. But Trump’s plan threatens to turn a global symbol of American power into an airborne collection of ethical, legal, security and counterintelligence concerns.

https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-qatar-air-force-one-2ef13d87b71185bde547abe6840b098c

New York Post: Trump lashes out at ‘ABC fake News’ over question about Qatari plane: ‘You should be embarrassed’

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President Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at ABC News reporter Rachel Scott after she questioned whether a $400 million luxury jet donated by Qatar’s royal family to the Pentagon could be perceived as a personal gift to him.

The tense exchange with Scott, whose network recently paid $16 million to Trump as part of a defamation settlement, occurred during a signing ceremony at the White House, where the president praised the aircraft donation and dismissed any suggestion that it was inappropriate.

“I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer,” Trump said.

“I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’ But I thought it was a great gesture.”

King Donald has no shame whatsoever, only greed!

Trump lashes out at ‘ABC fake News’ over question about Qatari plane: ‘You should be embarrassed’
ABC News’ Rachel Scott questioned whether a $400 million luxury jet donated by Qatar to the Pentagon could be perceived as a personal gift to Trump.

https://nypost.com/2025/05/12/media/trump-lashes-out-at-abc-fake-news-over-question-about-qatari-plane

Daily Beast: MAGA Stars Turn on Trump for Selling Out to Qatar

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MAGA influencers are demanding President Donald Trump turn down a $400 million luxury jet the Qatar royal family is in talks to gift his administration, saying the emirate is “not our friend.”

They’re not concerned about the legality or ethics of a foreign country giving Trump a gift that’s been described as a “palace in the sky,” even though the Constitution expressly prohibits such gifts absent congressional approval.

They’re mostly upset that Qatar—specifically—would be the one donating the luxury Boeing 747-8, which the administration would use as Air Force One for most of Trump’s remaining time in office before transferring it to the Trump presidential library foundation.

“Taking sacks of goodies from people who support Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Jazeera, all the rest—that is not America first,” conservative pundit Ben Shapiro said during the most recent episode of his show. “It just isn’t America first in any conceivable way.”

MAGA Stars Turn on Trump for Selling Out to Qatar
Furious Trump superfans say accepting a $400 million gift from the emirate isn’t “America First.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/maga-stars-turn-on-donald-trump-for-selling-out-to-qatar

New York Times: With Trump Visit, Qatar’s Image Makeover Scores Another Success

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The emirate, once called “a funder of terrorism” by President Trump, has spent lavishly on overhauling its global reputation.

The president, who has described the emir as a “great gentleman” and a “friend of mine,” is granting Qatar the honor of hosting one of the first foreign visits of his second term. As for the plane, the president says he would be “stupid” not to accept such a nice gift despite loud objections, not only from Democrats but from some of his most fervent MAGA supporters.

It is a dramatic turnaround for a small Persian Gulf country that Mr. Trump derided eight years ago as “a funder of terrorism at a very high level.” At that time, he cooperated with Qatar’s bitter rivals in the region — who imposed a punishing blockade on Doha — in calling for an end to what he described as the country’s “extremist ideology.”

Impeach! Impeach! Impeach!

https://archive.is/5Xbf6#selection-727.0-738.0

Alternet: Donald Trump just can’t resist the bribes | Opinion

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But one thing almost all Americans are firmly against — even many loyal Trumpers — [i]s bribery. And Trump is taking bigger and bigger bribes.

Yesterday it was reported that he’s accepting a luxury Boeing 747-8 plane worth at least $400 million from the Qatari royal family, for use during his presidency and for his personal use afterward.

Trump just can’t resist. He’s been salivating over the plane for months. It’s bigger and newer than Air Force One — and so opulently configured that it’s known as “a flying palace.” (No report on whether it contains a golden toilet.)

Apparently he’s been talking about the plane for months. In February, he toured it while it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport.

He’s tried to redecorate the White House into a palace but that’s not nearly as satisfying as flying around the world in one, especially once he’s left the White House (assuming he will).

https://www.alternet.org/donald-trump-just-can-t-resist-the-bribes

The Grifter-in-Chief Goes to Qatar to Line His Pockets

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US President Donald Trump heads to the Gulf this week on a visit aimed at reaching security and technology deals, with his own family’s business dealings not far from the spotlight.

Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, which have collectively promised to invest more than $2 trillion in the US since he came to office. In return, Gulf states want concessions on chip sales and nuclear cooperation, Semafor’s Mohammed Sergie wrote.

The Gulf is Trump’s “happy place” because its leaders won’t criticize him, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies noted. That is helpful, given controversies surrounding Qatar’s offered donation of a presidential jet and his family’s crypto dealings in the region.

Inside the Qatari luxury jet on offer to President Donald Trump
Detailed specifications of a plane that appears to be the same one offered by Qatar to Trump are available online.

https://www.semafor.com/article/05/11/2025/inside-the-qatari-luxury-jet-on-offer-to-president-donald-trump

Fox News: Trump Says U.S. Doesn’t Need Canada After All

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So it was all just a bad dream?

Senility?

Dementia?

President Donald Trump appears to have had a change of heart about the United States taking over Canada, claiming that Americans “don’t need anything” from their northern neighbor.

Despite his repeated assertions that the sprawling, resource-rich country should become America’s 51st state, the president told reporters on Air Force One Sunday that the “golden age” is coming, sans Canada. “We have our own lumber and energy,” he said, referencing slated plans for levies on wood from north of the border. “We don’t need energy from Canada. We don’t need lumber from Canada. We don’t need anything from Canada. I believe this will be the golden age of America,” he added.

Last week, Trump spoke over the phone with the new Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney. Despite the ongoing trade war, the call was “very constructive,” Carney said. He added that Trump “respected Canada’s sovereignty” during the chat.

However, despite the apparent softening of hostilities, Trump launched the latest salvo in his trade war Wednesday, announcing a 25 percent tariff on auto imports beginning April 2.

Trump Says U.S. Doesn’t Need Canada After All
President Donald Trump appears to have had a change of heart about the United States taking over Canada, claiming that Americans “don’t need anything” from their northern neighbor. Despite his repeated assertions that the sprawling, resource-rich country should become America’s 51st state, the president told reporters on Air Force One Sunday that the “golden age” is coming, sans Canada. “We have our own lumber and energy,” he said, referencing…

Trump Says U.S. Doesn’t Need Canada After All

Alternet: ‘Blatant felony’: Internet celebrates as Wisconsin AG reveals ‘legal action’ against Musk

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Vote buying is illegal? What’s a poor billionaire to do?

‘Blatant felony’: Internet celebrates as Wisconsin AG reveals ‘legal action’ against Musk
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk could be in for a confrontation with law enforcement if he follows through on a planned visit to Wisconsin on Sunday. On Friday, Madison, Wisconsin ABC affiliate WKOW reported that Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul was announcing “legal action” against the South African centibillionaire after he offered a $2 milli…

‘Blatant felony’: Internet celebrates as Wisconsin AG reveals ‘legal action’ against Musk