Concerns have arisen around the potential acceptance of a ‘palace in the sky’ by the president as a gift.
The Trump administration is reportedly on the verge of accepting an extraordinarily expensive and unprecedented gift from a foreign government.
This lavish Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet, valued at $400 million and known as a ‘flying palace’, is set to be presented to the President of the United States by Qatar’s royal family.
According to ABC News, Donald Trump will have the opportunity to use the aircraft as the new Air Force One until his term concludes, after which it is expected to be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
The 13-year-old plane will reportedly undergo modifications to comply with US military standards for presidential transport and be moved to the presidential library by January 1, 2029.
The US Air Force is said to be covering any costs related to the transfer.
The impressive gift is expected to be revealed next week during the president’s visit to Qatar, according to individuals familiar with the plans.
Trump previously toured the plane in February while it was stationed at the West Palm Beach International Airport in Florida.
Nevertheless, questions are likely to emerge concerning the ethics of the sitting president receiving such a valuable gift from a foreign power, especially with worries about potential bribery.
Reddit users have pointed out that their employment contracts often restrict them from accepting high-value gifts, with some stating a $50 annual limit.
Another user noted that in their ‘federal adjacent’ job, there’s a $25 per year limit, forcing them to decline a $28 t-shirt from a supplier.
Critics condemned the extravagant gift as ‘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,” commented one user.
In anticipation of such criticism, sources informed the news outlet that legal experts from the White House counsel’s office and the Department of Justice have been engaged.
Under their guidance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to determine that accepting the mega-jet as a gift is lawful and subsequently transferring it to the Trump library is permissible.
The assessment will declare that this action does not breach any bribery laws or the Constitution’s clause prohibiting US government officials from accepting gifts ‘from any King, Prince or foreign state’.
Sources indicated that Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump’s top White House lawyer, David Warrington, have concluded that it would be legally permissible to accept the plane and transfer it to Trump’s presidential library before his term ends.
Both the White House and the DOJ have determined that, since the gift is not contingent on any official act, it circumvents clauses related to bribery. Furthermore, it does not violate foreign gift regulations because the plane is being given to the US Air Force rather than to an individual.