The White House has insisted that a plane gifted from Qatar is just as safe as custom-build Air Force One models.
The White House has insisted that a plane gifted from Qatar is just as safe as custom-build Air Force One models. President Donald Trump was finally forced to admit that the $400 million plane given to him by Qatar to use as Air Force One is not as secure as the older models he has repeatedly criticized.
President Trump told reporters earlier this mont he was proud of the new Air Force One, which has new luxury features but is missing key defense systems. During a press gaggle on the tarmac on Sunday, the president cut off a reporter who was trying to ask why he was flying on a plane that was missing crucial defense systems.
“Well, it has a lot, and you know it has a lot of capability,” he said. “But as I understand it, in about a month or so they’re going to send it to have it be maxed out. So, they’re going to be sending it, and they’ll have it maxed out. It’ll take about a month.
” His comment seemed to confirm reporting from the Times and other outlets that Qatar’s golden gift was not as secure as the Cold War-era Air Force One models, which the president has complained are outdated. The White House took the extraordinary step of subpoenaing four New York Times reporters after the paper reported on security concerns involving the new Air Force One jet.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment about what specific upgrades are planned, how much they will cost, and whether they can be achieved in a month. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung previously said the new Air Force One was a “state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his staff.
” The president had also insisted that he ditched the new plane after the NATO summit so that the members of the military could tour it. Truth Social/Donald Trump Boeing’s custom-built models are designed to be a flying Oval Office with anti-missile defenses, hardened wiring to protect from electromagnetic pulses emitted during a nuclear strike, mid-air refueling capabilities, and an on-board medical suite for treating the president in case of an emergency.
The administration has insisted the new plane is a “bridge” between the aging aircraft that have served as Air Force One for the past 36 years and two new aircraft expected to be delivered in 2028, several years behind schedule. Soon after taking office, Trump toured the plane and demanded the Air Force rush through a renovation job so he could use it for the remainder of his second term.
He also said he plans to keep the plane for his presidential library after he leaves office, even though, by law, Congress must sign off on presidential gifts. Renderings show that Donald Trump plans to keep his $400 million Qatari-gifted Air Force One for his presidential library, despite legal limits on presidential gifts.
At the time, experts told the outlet the plane looked like a “domestic-only model” since it was missing some of the countermeasure systems and communications antennas of the outgoing jets.
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