Was plane from Qatar really a 'gift' as Trump claimed?

The US government reached out to Qatar to inquire about acquiring the Boeing 747 aircraft, which was supposedly a “gift” to US President Donald Trump.

Trump has been claiming that Qatar approached his administration and “offered” a plane, which the president later announced would be turned into Air Force One, the aircraft used by US presidents to travel around the world.

However, sources have told CNN that the Trump 2.0 administration contacted Boeing in January 2025 and was informed that the plane-maker would not be able to replace the old presidential planes and deliver new jets for another two years.

The Trump administration, however, pushed for a quicker replacement aircraft, prompting the Air Force to consider various alternatives. Simultaneously, Trump assigned his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to compile a list of suitable aircraft options.

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Following the Pentagon’s initial discussions with the company, Boeing supplied US defence officials with a list of international clients that owned aircraft potentially suitable for temporary use.

“And Qatar was one of the clients,” a source said, adding that the Pentagon “offered to buy the plane”, following which Qatar intended to sell it.

Trump has a completely different version of this story. Earlier this month, in an interview with Fox, the president said, “Boeing is very late with the plane. And Qatar heard about it, and he’s a great leader. And we were talking, and he said, ‘If I can help you, let me do that.’ And they had a plane.”

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Meanwhile, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani has said he “does not see any controversy” surrounding Trump’s plan to accept the Boeing 747-8 plane

Talking to CNN, Al-Thani said, “This is a very simple government-to-government deal. It has nothing to do with personnel, whether it’s on the US side or the Qatari side. It’s Ministry of Defense and Department of Defense,” adding that it is “not a personal gift” to Trump.

Trump’s desire to accept a $400 million aeroplane from Qatar has been slammed by Republicans and Democrats alike, with many dubbing it an illegal foreign donation and national security threat.