Politics

Trump’s $400M Gift From Qatar Is Just as Tacky Inside as You’d Imagine

FLYING GRIFT

Take a tour of the luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet that the Qatar royal family is reportedly planning to give Trump to use as Air Force One.

Trump and the tacky $400M plane Qatar is gifting him
Getty / AMAC Aerospace

Qatar isn’t skimping on the luxury jumbo jet it reportedly plans to gift President Donald Trump.

According to an “aircraft specification summary” document posted online when the Boeing 747-8 was listed for sale several years ago, the $400 million aircraft has at least three lounges, two bedrooms, nine bathrooms, five galleys, a private office, and enough business class seating to accommodate dozens of guests.

Double seats in the upper deck, with a living room just beyond.
Double seats in the upper deck, with a living room just beyond. AMAC Aerospace
A living room on the upper deck features an L-shaped couch, built-in bookshelves, and built-in big-screen TV.
A living room on the upper deck of the Boeing 747-8 features an L-shaped couch, built-in bookshelves, and built-in big-screen TV. AMAC Aerospace

The art-deco inspired interiors feature oversized couches and recliners, wood paneling, built-in bookshelves, and big-screen TVs, according to the photos.

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The aircraft specification summary was posted online by the Swiss firm AMAC Aerospace, which listed the aircraft for sale in 2020. The listing has since been taken down, but the document is still online, Semafor reported.

The serial number on the Boeing 747-8i in AMAC’s specification summary matches the tail number of the aircraft that Trump spent an hour touring at Palm Beach International Airport in February, according to Semafor.

A couch in the master bedroom.
A couch in the master bedroom. AMAC Aerospace
A table and four chairs in the private office, which also has built-in bookshelves, a monitor and a private bathroom.
The private office also has built-in bookshelves, a monitor and a private bathroom. AMAC Aerospace

Qatar reportedly plans to gift Trump the jumbo jet—which has been described as a “palace in the sky”—during his upcoming visit to the Middle East.

The U.S. Air Force will take ownership of the plane and use it as Air Force One, before transferring it to Trump’s presidential library foundation shortly before his term ends, ABC reported.

AMAC Aerospace’s 16-page aircraft summary lists more than 100 interior parts and their manufacturers, and provides a detailed blueprint of the plane.

It also includes images of the jet’s lounges, master bedroom, private office, and club seating area. Not pictured are the guest room, fully stocked galleys or nine bathrooms.

More seating on the upper deck.
More seating on the upper deck. AMAC Aerospace
The club seating area.
The club seating area. AMAC Aerospace

The plane can carry 89 passengers and 14 crew members, according to the document. It has five 55-inch TV monitors, four 46-inch monitors, and two monitors that are 40 inches and 32 inches, respectively. In standard commercial configuration, a 747-8 can carry around 600 passengers.

AMAC Aerospace spent two years outfitting the aircraft, the military and foreign affairs news site TWZ reported in 2020.

The aircraft specification summary included a detailed blueprint of the jumbo jet's layout.
The aircraft specification summary included a detailed blueprint of the jumbo jet's layout. AMAC Aerospace
More of the airplane's blueprint.
A blueprint of the private office and main lounge. AMAC Aerospace
The blueprint of the aft lounge and galley.
The blueprint of the aft lounge and galley. AMAC Aerospace
The blueprint of the upper deck lounge.
The blueprint of the upper deck lounge. AMAC Aerospace

Built in Washington state, the jet began flying in 2015 with Qatar Amiri Flight, the division of Qatar Airways that serves the royal families and other top government officials.

The aircraft Trump is expected to receive was set aside for “executive” VIPs outside of Qatar’s ruling House of Al Thani, according to TWZ.

The aft double seating area.
The aft double seating area. AMAC Aerospace
Seating in the forward lounge.
Seating in the forward lounge. AMAC Aerospace

It’s not clear whether the plane’s interior has been changed since the photos were taken. Before serving as Air Force One, the aircraft would need to be retrofitted with special communications and defensive systems to transform it into the president’s command and control platform, according to the Wall Street Journal.

And as it currently stands, the plane is also light on Trump’s preferred decorative element—gold embellishments.

The president has come under fire for accepting such a lavish gift from a foreign government.

His administration reportedly plans to get around the Constitution—which prohibits the president from accepting gifts or payments unless Congress approves—by eventually transferring the plane to the president’s library foundation instead of to Trump personally.

Asked whether the gift was appropriate, a White House spokesperson pointed Semafor to a Truth Social post from Trump, which described the transaction as “very public and transparent.”

During his first term, Trump struck a $3.9 billion deal with Boeing for two new Air Force One planes. They were supposed to be ready in 2024, but are still years away from delivery, CNN reported in February.

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