3mo ago

Trump administration poised to accept 'palace in the sky' as a gift for Trump from Qatar: Sources

abcnews.go.com

In what may be the most valuable gift ever extended to the United States from a foreign government, the Trump administration is preparing to accept a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar.

It is to be available for use by Donald Trump as the new Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation, sources familiar with the proposed arrangement told ABC News.

The gift is expected to be announced next week, when Trump visits Qatar on the first foreign trip of his second term, according to sources familiar with the plans.

54 comments

If Trump gets to keep it after his presidency, it's not a gift to the United States.
- It goes to his presidential library for the use of its staff after his presidency. He won't technically own it, but he'll be able to use its value indirectly. It's definitely flouting bribery laws and daring anyone to do something about it.
  
  What would keep a future president from renaming it to the Book Closet of Mexico?
- In the distant future: "Why does everyone celebrate an aircraft door plug?"
By law aren't gifts over a certain value supposed to become the property of the American people?
- Law has left the room a while ago.
  
  Im pretty sure it was deported.
- You think the law is still at play over there?
- Because of SCOTUS and their dumbass rulings, impeachment is the only remedy.
  
  “nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know.”
  Donald trump
- In the announcement, Pam Bondi sent a document confirming the "legitimacy" of accepting this gift, that it does not break anti-bribery policies.
  For what it's worth
- Trump can’t be charged with anything while president, so it won’t matter if he accepts it and keeps ot as his own personal toy.
  Edit: downvotes? Lol, y’all already forget about SCOTUS handing trump immunity for everything he does while in office?
Just imagine how much spyware you can cram into that thing
- Yeah, it is in no way secure.
  You could fully disassemble it and resemble it and you still couldn't be totally sure it's free of bugs and taps. Accepting this gift is a truly enormous security breach.
Is there anywhere I can bet on the likelihood they built it as a Trojan horse that will just fall out of the sky when they’re done with him?
- I thought that came standard on Boeing.
- Jokes on you, it's a Boeing.
  Oh... I mean.... Hmmmm...
  I'm going to go talk to my broker real quick.
- Bad things happen to good people. I wouldn't bet on this trend changing
- I would say 'shhhhhh just in case thats it, dont spoil it', but his admin cant read anyways.
- Please please please please PLEASE!
- Lol I had the same idea, good to hear I'm not the only werido that can see the risk.
More truthful title:
Fat Orange Imbecile Openly Accepts Bribe. Government Secrets Will Be Sent Back For Years To Come.
I'd like to see a game show called "Bribe or Gift?" In which politicians compete for campaign funding.
- Anything at all given to a politician should under any circumstances should be considered to be a bribe.
  Yes anything.
  
  You would do well on the show.
The plane will initially be transferred to the United States Air Force, which will modify the 13-year-old aircraft to meet the U.S. military specifications required for any aircraft used to transport the president of the United States, multiple sources familiar with the proposed arrangement said.
Setting aside intelligence and influence concerns mentioned by others in the thread already, I can't really see how this is faster than modifying planes already in the US. I mean, it's a plane with luxury stuff. Surely the issue isn't putting luxury stuff in the thing, but putting security stuff in.
Hell, if the USAF has to start over from scratch, I'd think that it'd take longer, if anything.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5156686-trump-boeing-air-force-one-delays-frustration/
Trump vents frustration with Boeing over Air Force One delays
President Trump is airing grievances with Boeing over delays in delivering new Air Force One jets, telling Republican governors on Thursday he was “getting a little tired” of the hold up.
“I bought a plane. It’s really two planes, Air Force One. Now if Boeing would build the damn thing it would be nice, too. We don’t build like we used to. We don’t build too fast,” Trump said at a reception for the Republican Governors Association.
Like, I assume that time is Trump's beef here.
EDIT:
Yeah, this seems to agree with that:
https://www.popsci.com/technology/why-does-air-force-one-take-so-long-to-replace/
Why a private plane isn’t a viable option
President Trump, realizing the pair of new 747-8 planes might not be completed by the time he leaves office, has suggested sidestepping Boeing altogether and modifying a used private jet instead. The suggestion to sidestep Boeing entirely and “convert” a used aircraft could face several challenges, experts said. The extensive modifications required to make such an aircraft capable of functioning as the president’s plane would essentially mean starting from scratch—a process Boeing has already been working through for years. As a result, a converted used jet could potentially take even longer to become airworthy than the two 747-8 models currently in production.
“Honestly, at this point, any changes you make are likely to make it take longer and cost more even if you’re reducing capabilities,” Harrison said.
“It [a converted plane] just wouldn’t be anywhere near as capable as the Air Force Ones we have today,” Aboulafia added.
Not to mention that I kind of wonder what it is that makes the existing, older, aircraft such a problem. Whatever it is has to be something that the Qatari royal plane does. Maybe the existing ones don't have some sort of fancy convenience? It used to be the norm for leaders to travel on warships, and I suspect that considerably more tradeoffs were made there.
- Oh, Cheeto wants it built too fast?
  I'd love for him to travel on a Boeing airplane that was built too fast on top of being a Boeing. It would solve so much shit in this world if he did
  
  He should travel with his entire cabinet at all times, too.
- I was under the impression that Musk was going to "fix" Boeing's delivery of AF1. I think his suggestions included relaxing the security clearance for new hires and getting everyone working 60-hour weeks.
  News of that all went very quiet after the announcement though.
- Could it be as simble as the inconvenience of sharing a plane that Biden once sat in?
- Doubt he understands any of the electronic or physical countermeasures for weapons that are installed on AF1.
My first thought seeing this news was "Why would Trump get such a plane for other future Presidents?".
Firstly, Trump being Trump would find a way to make the plane personally his, even placing some of those special Rolls Royce-made silent engines he likes so much. Secondly he already has his own Trump Force 1 to compete with the current AF1 - would he really be able to see another president flying around on his lux-plane while he has to return to the "poor-billionaire's" TF1?
Smells like yet another small sign that he isn't really planning on leaving. Seems like he's just getting his own upgraded Trump Force 1 under the guise of presidency, using taxpayer money, to serve him until he dies - not until the end of the term - and spend a heck-a-ton more taxpayer money in operating costs to fund his weekly golf trips.
- The article summary in the post explains that it will be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation just before he leaves office. So it won't be available for future presidents.
  
  That foundation sounds like a real-world oxymoron.
- There is no way he gives up the plane after his presidency. He is saying he will now to stop anyone from being able to argue that there is any corruption.
- The answer to these questions and more can be yours by reading the article.
- My first thought seeing this ~~news~~ headline without reading the article under it was [...]
  Ftfy
Are they just ripping off the left behind series? Literally what the Antichrist does in those books
LOL, in New York Times headline, "and Post-Presidency Travel"
that dude seems to plan to try to stay by any means necessary until he shuffles off this mortal coil.
- He’s too old there’s no way they’d risk it. Even if it’s just a ceremonial election for his chosen candidate which he retains influence over.
  
  Putin style.
- Imagine, the day he dies, Elon rules out Trump AI designed to continue his legacy forever, term limits won’t matter because it’s not a person.
I bet Israel has that jet bugged and ready to explode lol
- I'd bet money there was a bid to pay to get your country's but put in this plane
  
  Bet
I bet it has the Signal app built into every screen.
Is it bad that things are so bad that this is a win win? like, chance of it being built with Boeing quality? Win. Bugged? Still better than Signal so win. Foreign adversaries threat that uniquely only affects those on board the plane? win with some collateral damage.
I am not seeing a downside
That's a nice big target and it's probably missing the usual AFO anti missile gadgets. They will probably rig it with a kill switch and when Trump misbehaves or flips on their deal they will trigger it.
It would be a real shame if someone helped it along to a rapid, unplanned, disassembly.
Isnt the 747 old AF and EOL? when was this airframe built? How many miles does it already have on it?
- Airplane designs are constantly being updated just because the shape doesn’t have to be. Case in point, though developed in 1963, the latest generation of 747 (the 747-8i) started being delivered in 2012, with the last one in 2023, which is still relatively recent in airplane years.
  For another example the B-52 was first introduced in 1955, but is on its 10th generation (B-52J) with updates to avionics as of 2020. So it doesn’t take much to find a good design and then just keep iterating and updating it.
  
  Yeah they're built to last decades, but only with top maintenance and replacement parts. Which I think was the point of the top-level comment.
Who cares how many miles it has on it. By all means go for it.

54 comments