The POTUS is set to receive one of the most valuable gifts ever
People are raising red flags over what could be a major issue if President Trump ends up accepting what’s being described as a 'palace in the sky' as a gift.
Reports suggest the Trump administration is gearing up to accept an incredibly expensive and one-of-a-kind gift offered to the United States by a foreign government.
The gift in question is a lavish Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet, valued at around $400 million. Nicknamed the 'flying palace', it’s reportedly coming from the royal family of Qatar and could soon be handed over to the president.
According to ABC News, Donald Trump would be allowed to use the aircraft as the new Air Force One while he remains in office. After his term, it’s expected to become part of the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
The aircraft, which is about 13 years old, would first be upgraded to meet U.S. military standards for transporting a sitting president. It would then be officially transferred to the presidential library sometime before January 1, 2029.
What’s more, the U.S. Air Force is reportedly set to cover any expenses related to the transfer process.
The new jet could replace Air Force OneSAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Sources familiar with the matter say the grand reveal is likely to take place next week, during the president’s visit to Qatar.
Trump has already seen the jet up close. He toured it back in February while it was stationed at West Palm Beach International Airport in Florida.
Still, the gift has stirred up concern, especially when it comes to ethics. Some are questioning whether it’s appropriate for a sitting president to accept such an extravagant item from a foreign country, with fears it might cross into bribery territory.
On Reddit, several users chimed in to say their own job contracts strictly forbid them from accepting valuable gifts. Some mentioned they’re not even allowed to accept anything worth more than $50 in a single year.
The gift would have to be modified to meet US military standardsScott Olson/Getty Images
One user mentioned they work in a 'federal adjacent' role and their gift allowance is just $25 per year. That limit once forced them to decline a $28 T-shirt from a vendor.
Many others slammed the extravagant gesture, calling it “bribery on the highest scale.”
"Nothing says American exceptionalism like not being able to build our own AF-1. Nothing says MAGA failure like actually accepting this as a gift," they added.
Expecting some pushback, sources said attorneys from both the White House Counsel’s Office and the Department of Justice have already been pulled in to evaluate the situation.
According to legal advice they received, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to determine that it would be lawful to accept the jet and later transfer it to the Trump library.
The ruling would argue that accepting the gift wouldn’t breach any laws related to bribery or the part of the U.S. Constitution that bars officials from accepting gifts from foreign powers like kings or princes.
Additional sources said Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House lawyer David Warrington concluded it’s legally fine to receive the aircraft, as long as it’s transferred to the presidential library before Trump’s term ends.
Officials from both the DOJ and the White House maintain that because there’s no condition tied to an official action, the gift avoids being labeled as a bribe. Also, since the jet is being gifted to the U.S. Air Force and not Trump personally, it doesn’t count as a foreign gift to an individual.