Democrats Introduce Bill to Block Qatar’s 747 ‘Gift’ to Trump

Proposal would prevent any aircraft once owned by a foreign government from being used as Air Force One.

Zach Vasile

Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 01:10 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

President Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One, a modified Boeing 747-200 referred to by the military as VC-25A [Credit: Shutterstock/Evan El-Amin]

Key Takeaways:

Senate Democrats introduced the "Presidential Airlift Security Act of 2025" to prevent the use of Department of Defense funds for any presidential aircraft previously owned by a foreign government.
The bill specifically targets a Boeing 747-8i offered by Qatar to former President Donald Trump, citing national security concerns, potential for foreign influence (accused bribe), and an estimated billions of dollars and years needed for security retrofits.
While Trump and Qatar defend the jet as a goodwill "gift," reports indicate the U.S. government initially approached Qatar about acquiring an aircraft due to delays in new Air Force One deliveries.

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Senate Democrats on Monday introduced a bill aimed at preventing President Donald Trump from accepting a luxury Boeing 747-8i from the government of Qatar.

The Presidential Airlift Security Act of 2025 would bar the use of Department of Defense funding to procure, modify, restore, or maintain “an aircraft previously owned by a foreign government, an entity controlled by a foreign government, or a representative of a foreign government for the purposes of providing presidential airlift options.”