Report: Qatar royal family to gift Trump luxury jet worth $400m

The Qatari royal family is set to gift United States President Donald Trump a luxury Boeing 747-800 plane.

Citing sources within the US government familiar with the matter, ABC News reported that Trump will receive the donation.

The New York Times also reported on the development, crediting White House sources.

The 13-year-old aircraft is said to cost about $400 million.

According to both reports, it will be upgraded to serve as Air Force One.

The Qatari royal family is among the wealthiest royal families in the world, with an estimated net worth of around $335 billion as of February.

This will arguably be the biggest foreign gift ever received by the US government, with its magnitude subject to intense legal scrutiny and public debate.

ABC News reported that the plane will initially be transferred to the US Air Force, which will modify the jet to meet the US military specifications required for any aircraft used to transport the president.

A government official said the plane will later be donated to Trump’s presidential library when he leaves office, allowing him to continue using it as a private citizen.

Anticipating kickback, Pam Bondi, attorney general, and David Warrington, Trump’s top White House lawyer, have reportedly already drafted documents concluding that it would be “legally permissible” for the president to receive the donation.

They have also argued that it is acceptable for the aircraft to be turned over to the Trump library, and that it does not violate laws against bribery or the constitution’s prohibition of any US government official accepting gifts “from any King, Prince or foreign State”.

The plan comes as Trump prepares to visit three nations in the Middle East, including Qatar.

The US president had previously expressed a need for a new official plane.