In May 2025, the nation of Qatar gave the Department of Defense a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to be remodeled into a new Air Force One.

Trump’s plan to accept a $400 million plane from Qatar has ignited a full-blown firestorm among Democrats in Congress

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and GOP firebrand senators are among those voicing discomfort with the deal.

Trump said accepting a luxury 747 from Qatar is a no-brainer. But critics say the plan threatens to turn a symbol of American power into a collection of legal and counterintelligence concerns.

President Donald Trump thinks it would be “stupid” to turn down a free airplane from Qatar. However, some experts have already warned that the plane could end up costing billions to retrofit and maintain.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer says he will hold up all Department of Justice nominations on the Senate floor until he gets more answers about the free Air Force One replacement that President Donald Trump says would be donated by Qatar.

President Donald Trump’s openness to accepting a luxury jet from Qatar triggered sharp criticism from legal experts, who cited potential violations of the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause. Trump has defended the reported gift as “a gesture of good faith,

U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday vowed to block all of President Donald Trump's nominees to the Justice Department until the agency reports what it knows about Qatar's offer to give Trump's administration a $400 million airplane.