 "A Boeing 747 belonging to Qatar sits on the tarmac of Palm Beach International Airport after President Donald Trump toured the aircraft on Feb. 15. (Photo: AFP)")
Is Donald Trump trying to hide the cost of renovating the ‘free’ Air Force One?
The announcement that Qatar would be giving the US president a free Boeing 747 worth $400 million was already the subject of much controversy.
Many had questions about the ethics of such a transaction. Others expressed concerns about security and the potential cost needed to upgrade such a plane to meet the needs of the US president.
Now, It seems the latter is set to explode in Trump’s face.
The development comes even as Trump spars with Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell over the costs of renovating the central bank’s Washington headquarters.
But what happened? What do we know?
Let’s take a closer look:
What happened?
The cost of renovating the Qatar plane remains unknown.
The aircraft is currently parked in San Antonio.
“Officially, and conveniently, the price tag has been classified. But even by Washington standards, where “black budgets” are often used as an excuse to avoid revealing the cost of outdated spy satellites and lavish end-of-year parties, the reasoning behind hiding the cost is inventive”, The New York Times noted.
However, a $934 million transfer of funds in the Pentagon budget has come under the scanner.
The transfer was mentioned in a document sent to Washington.It refers to an unnamed, classified project.
The piece noted that no one wants to discuss the figure.
“Congressional budget sleuths have come to think that amount, slipped into an obscure Pentagon document sent to Capitol Hill as a ’transfer’ to an unnamed classified project, almost certainly includes the renovation” of the jet that has been described as a “palace in the sky”,” the newspaper noted.
The funds were shifted from a budget carved out for upgrading the US’ ground-based nuclear missiles.
Air Force officials have said some of the funds for renovating the plane will be pulled from this budget.
Ironically, the plane will not be ready for Trump’s use anytime soon.
The plane’s communication systems, engines need to be improved. The Boeing plane also needs to be fitted with antimissile systems.
US agencies will also have to check for any spy equipment Qatar may have put in the plane.
The plane will also need to be redecorated to match Trump’s golden tastes.
In all, the ‘renovations’ could take another year or two – by which time Trump will be getting ready to leave office.
Trump has claimed that the plane will be transferred to his presidential library in 2029.
Trump as president is barred from accepting gifts from outside entities, including foreign governments and even members of Congress.
Article I of the Constitution states that no president shall accept a gift or emolument from a “King, Prince, or foreign State,” without Congress’ permission.
“They knew about it because they buy Boeings, they buy a lot of Boeings, and they knew about it, and they said, we would like to do something,” Trump said. “And if we can get a 747 as a contribution to our Defense Department to use during a couple of years while they’re building the other ones, I think that was a very nice gesture”.
Qatar’s offer
Qatar’s offer came after Trump repeatedly complained of delays and cost overruns in aerospace giant Boeing’s contract to provide two new Air Force One jets to replace the current aging models.
The development came after Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and his Qatari counterpart Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani earlier in July signed an agreement lying out the terms of the “unconditional donation”.
“This donation is made in good faith and in the spirit of cooperation and mutual support between the parties,” the document states. “Nothing in this MoU is, or shall be interpreted or construed as, an offer, promise, or acceptance of any form of bribery, undue influence, or corrupt practice”.
It states that the donation is “not connected or otherwise related to any governmental decision and, as such, is not made, offered, promised or accepted because of any past, present or future official act or decision and is not intended to obtain or retain any improper advantage or to influence any official decision”.
Boeing has spent years stripping down and rebuilding two 747s to replace the versions that have carried presidents for more than three decades.
The project is slated to cost more than $5.3 billion and may not be finished before Trump leaves office.
A 2021 report made public through the Freedom of Information Act outlines the unclassified requirements for the replacement 747s under construction. At the top of the list — survivability and communications.
The government decided more than a decade ago that the new planes had to have four engines so they could remain airborne if one or two fail, said Deborah Lee James, who was Air Force secretary at the time. That creates a challenge because 747s are no longer manufactured, which could make spare parts harder to come by.
Air Force One also has to have the highest level of classified communications, anti-jamming capabilities and external protections against foreign surveillance, so the president can securely command military forces and nuclear weapons during a national emergency. It’s an extremely sensitive and complex system, including video, voice and data transmissions.
Trump previously said it would be ‘stupid’ not to accept the gift from Qatar.
“It’s a great gesture,” the 78-year-old billionaire told reporters at the White House when asked if the oil-rich Gulf state would expect anything in exchange.
“I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person (and) say ’no we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.'”
Ironically, the developments come as Trump is at odds with Powell, the chief of the Fed he has long wanted to fire.
Powell, who is operates independently, has refused to tow the president’s line when it comes to interest rates.
He has also slammed the president’s tariff policies, which has infuriated Trump.
Trump, who has repeatedly mused about firing Powell, may use the renovations of the Federal Reserve building in Washington as an excuse to fire the Fed chief.
However, firing Powell could lead to the stock market melting down and investors fleeing for the hills.
With inputs from agencies