Trump Said Qatar Gifted Him A $400 Million Jet, But Insiders Say The US Initiated The Deal

President Donald Trump's claim that Qatar presented him with a luxury Boeing 747 as a personal "gift" is now being questioned by several insiders familiar with the negotiations.

Despite Trump’s repeated hints that the offer came unsolicited from Qatar’s leadership, CNN sources say it was actually the Trump administration that initiated the discussions.

What Happened: According to insiders, the administration began to look for a replacement for Air Force One soon after Trump took office.

When Boeing implied that their new aircraft would not be ready until at least 2027, other options came to the forefront, according to CNN. Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was asked to identify potential planes, and Boeing later pointed the Pentagon to clients with appropriate aircraft.

Qatar was one of them, and US officials initiated communications to explore a possible lease or purchase. Trump, however, wrote on Truth Social that the plane was "a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE" from Qatar's royal family. He also told Fox News that Qatar's leader presented the plane after hearing about the Air Force One delay, labelling it "a great gesture."

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Why It Matters: The Boeing-manufactured jet, valued at around $400 million, has been a source of major controversy since the "gift" became public knowledge.

Former Vice President Mike Pence urged the President to reject it. Former Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley said "accepting gifts from foreign nations is never a good practice" and "threatens intelligence and national security." Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers labelled it "banana-republic-level corruption" and economist Peter Schiff was also sharply critical of the arrangement.

The White House, however, says the deal is being managed as a formal government-to-government transfer, subject to legal and ethical review. Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani stressed that the negotiations are strictly between defense ministries.

Aviation experts have warned that it could take years to convert the jet to make it suitable for presidential use, and cost up to $1 billion.

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