Attorney General Pam Bondi gave President Donald Trump the green light to accept a $400 million “flying palace” as a gift from Qatar.
ABC News reported that the Qatar royal family is planning to gift Trump a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet ahead of his big trip to the Middle East, where he is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar to secure “economic agreements.”
Sources told ABC that Trump will utilize the jet until just before the end of his presidency, when it will be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
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Although gift exchanges are common between heads of state, the legality of such an arrangement is murky given that the Constitution prohibits federal officials from receiving personal gifts from foreign heads of state without the consent of Congress.
However, sources told ABC that Bondi and Trump’s top White House lawyer, David Warrington, have already smoothed the legal details. They concluded that the gift is “legally permissible” because it is being handed to the United States Air Force and will then be transferred to Trump’s presidential library foundation. They also determined it does not constitute a bribe because the gift does not hinge on an official act.
The sources added that Bondi even provided a legal memorandum addressing the matter to the White House counsel’s office last week, after Warrington asked her about the legality of the Pentagon accepting the plane.
Boeing launched the Boeing 747-8 in 2011. At 250 feet long, it is 18 feet longer than previous generations of the aircraft. The Qatari plane is so luxurious that it has been called a “flying palace.”
However, Boeing’s $3.9 billion contract to deliver two new Air Force One jets to replace the current aging jets in use has faced significant delays, leading Trump to speak out in disappointment.
“I’m not happy with the fact that it’s taken so long,” Trump told reporters in February, CNN reported. “There’s no excuse for it.”
Trump reportedly got an opportunity to tour the 747-8 while it was parked at the West Palm Beach International Airport in February.
The Wall Street Journal reported that aviation company L3Harris has been commissioned to overhaul the gift to meet presidential jet standards.
The plane will be transferred to the United States Air Force to be modified to meet the specifications required, according to multiple sources.
The plane will then be transferred again at the end of Trump’s presidency to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation no later than Jan. 1, 2029. Sources told ABC News that all costs related to such transfers will be paid for by the U.S. Air Force.
