The Trump administration on Monday confirmed plans to accept a Boeing 747-8 aircraft, gifted by the Qatari royal family, as a replacement for the aging Air Force One. Valued at nearly $400 million, the luxury jet is slated to be handed over to the U.S. Air Force and later to the Trump Presidential Library.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump defended the decision, saying, “So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40-year-old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane.”
Why the lavish gift is stirring controversy?
The U.S. Constitution prohibits government officials from accepting gifts from foreign governments without congressional approval. According to ABC News, both the White House and the Department of Justice argue the arrangement is legal, emphasising that the offer is not tied to any favour or action. Since the jet would first be transferred to the U.S. Air Force and eventually handed over to the Trump Presidential Library—not to Trump personally—it would not violate constitutional provisions. The Qatari government, meanwhile, has distanced itself from the characterisation of the plane as a “gift,” calling such reports inaccurate.
Is the Statue of Liberty a gift to the US?
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States, presented in 1886 to commemorate the centennial of American independence in 1876. Dedicated by President Grover Cleveland on October 28, 1886, the statue symbolised the enduring alliance between the two nations. According to UNESCO, it was intended to reaffirm the historical ties and shared values of liberty and democracy.
“Is This the New Statue of Liberty?”
Many netizens have invoked the Statue of Liberty to compare the current situation. “Statue of Liberty staring at the Trump Administration,” one user joked.“Remember that time we accepted the Statue of Liberty?” another added. A user claimed, “So the $400M ‘palace in the sky’ is a gift to the Defense Department, used exclusively by Trump, and he gets to take it home? That’d be like Grover Cleveland installing the Statue of Liberty in his backyard.” A user noted, “The $400M jet is a gift to America, not Trump—just like the Statue of Liberty. Presidential libraries routinely house foreign gifts. Trump’s in the clear!” one user argued, “Trump like planes though. And big truck go vroom! What’s the big deal? France gave us Lady Liberty and no one asked for a refund.”