Trump's Administration Takes First Flight on New $400 Million Air Force One Gifted by Qatar
Quick Look
- President Trump and his administration took the first flight on a new $400 million Air Force One, gifted by Qatar.
- The jet features plush interiors and a new red-white-and-blue color scheme.
- The gift has faced criticism regarding its timing and necessity.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The U.S. received a new $400 million Air Force One jet from Qatar. The maiden voyage showcased its luxurious interiors and a new red-white-and-blue color scheme.
President Donald Trump and his entourage took flight on Wednesday for the first time in the new, $400 million Air Force One jet given to the U.S. by Qatar.
The maiden voyage gave the public its first detailed look inside the jet, which Trump recently called the “world's most luxurious plane.”
Across social media, members of the Trump administration showed off some of the plane’s plush finishes, including pillows branded with the presidential seal, a meeting table trimmed in white grain leather, and decorative touches including framed volumes and images of Washington landmarks on the walls.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt filmed an Instagram vlog of the trip on the new jet as administration members headed to North Dakota to celebrate the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.
In the video, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller flashed Leavitt a peace sign and told her the new plane was “majestic.”
During the voyage, White House staffers had a brunch of bagel sandwiches, fruit and juice, pictures showed.
The kickoff flight also displayed the jet’s new color scheme, which traded Air Force One’s traditional sky blue for a red-white-and-blue livery resembling Trump’s private planes.
“We had it all painted up, and these are the new colors: red, white and blue,” Trump told service members last month at Joint Base Andrews while standing in a hangar in front of the massive jet. “It was my taste.”
Administration members may be upbeat about the sparkling new Boeing VC-25B, but it has remained controversial since it was announced.
Critics accused Doha of using the gift to curry favor with the president, while others questioned the need for a new plane given that the Air Force is already working on multi-billion dollar replacements to the previous-generation Air Force One.
The president has said the ex-Qatari jet will be used until the official replacements are ready, at which point the gifted Air Force One will reportedly be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library.
Open Questions
- What is the exact nature of the deal between Qatar and the US?
- How will this gift impact future diplomatic relations?
