Multiple sources have now contradicted Trump’s story about Qatar offering a $400 million plane as a ‘gift.’
As it turns out, Trump toured a Qatari plane with aides in February and began complaining how luxurious the plane was compared to his own transportation options. Trump was impatient with Boeing, which estimated it would take two years to build a new Air Force One, so he insisted his Middle East envoy find him a luxury plane stat.
Despite Trump’s insistence that the plane was a present from Qatar, describing it as “A GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE” on Truth Social and saying that only a “stupid person” would have refused it, they initially looked at leasing the plane.
The plane ‘gift’ was problematic from the get-go, over numerous ethics complaints at home that cast a long shadow over the president’s visit to the Middle East last week.
Add to that the fact that the plane would have to be completely retrofitted to meet security standards, likely costing FOUR times what the jet initially cost.
