According to ABC, on July 1st local time, U.S. President Trump flew in the new 'Air Force One' aircraft gifted by the Qatari government for the first time. He spoke highly of the aircraft, stating that the United States is unable to produce such a plane.
Trump flew to North Dakota, USA on a private jet on that day to attend the opening ceremony of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. Before boarding the plane, Trump gave a media interview. He said, "I asked Boeing, 'Which one is the best?' They said it's the best plane ever. You will have the privilege of flying it, and so will I."
He praised Qatar: “To be honest, we can’t build such airplanes, because we don’t want to spend that much money. They spent a lot of money.”
When asked whether American taxpayers’ money was used to modify this aircraft, Trump replied, “The cost of doing this is very low compared to the expenses we would incur through other methods.”
On July 1st, local time, U.S. President Trump took his first flight in the newly donated “Air Force One” aircraft by Qatar.
The two Boeing 747 planes originally used by the U.S. President were put into service in the early 1990s, and have been in service for over 30 years. Trump has repeatedly complained that the special aircraft are too old.
During Trump's first term in office, the U.S. government signed a contract with Boeing to create a new "Air Force One" presidential aircraft. However, due to technical issues, supplier problems, and employee issues, Boeing was delayed in delivering the new presidential aircraft. It is expected that the first plane will not be delivered until 2028, at which time Trump's second term in office will be coming to an end.
Last year, Qatar donated a luxurious Boeing 747-8 aircraft as a “gift” to the Trump administration. Trump subsequently planned to transform this aircraft into the “Air Force One”. According to ABC, since September last year, the U.S. Air Force has been modifying this aircraft in Texas to meet the safety and communication needs of the presidential plane. The modification cost is estimated at about $400 million.
Sources familiar with the matter told ABC that during the remaining time of Trump’s second term, this Qatar-supplied aircraft will become the new "Air Force One". Before Trump leaves office, the ownership of the aircraft will be transferred to the Donald Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
However, Trump using a plane donated by a foreign country as his private plane has sparked widespread questions in the United States. Many critics accuse Trump of being involved in "bribing foreign governments," while Trump’s allies are concerned about the safety of the plane.
