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The President describes the plane as a “free gift”, but that’s not the whole story.
The President describes the plane as a “free gift”, but that’s not the whole story.
What is going on?
During his trip to the Middle East, US President Donald Trump has been offered a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet, worth an estimated $400 mio. by the Royal Family of Qatar. The plane is offered to the United States Air Force/Department of Defence.
Is Trump accepting?
Donald Trump has said that he plans to accept the plane, describing it as a “free, very expensive airplane” and calling it “a great gesture from Qatar”.
What would he use it for?
According to Trump, the plane could be used as a temporary stand-in for Air Force One. The American Government is currently awaiting the delivery of two new planes, but the delivery has been delayed several times.
So what’s the problem?
There are several issues connected to the possible acceptance of the plane, spanning both economics, security and legal.
Security first
Air Force One is not just an airplane. It’s a command center with wings. Richard Aboulafia, an expert in military aircraft and managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory, said that accepting the new plane as a stand-in for Air Force One, could create a flurry of problems.
It’s a tool, not a ferry
Talking to Defense News, the expert explains that Air Force One is supposed to be a flying situation room and command center, and upgrading a 747 could take into the 2030’s.
May be free now, but …
This brings us to the economic issue. When Trump says that the plane is a free gift, that might be true now, but if the plane is to be upgraded to a new Air Force One, the upgrades would come with a hefty price tag.
Could cost over $1 billion to upgrade
According the NBC News, experts suggest that disassembling, reassembling and upgrading the 747 could cost the taxpayers more than twice the estimated value of the plane, with a possible bill exceeding $1 billion.
Is it even legal?
Safety and economic issues aside, the whole thing raises serious legal concerns. It can be seen as corruption, and actually, the U.S. Constitution might put a stop to the whole thing.
Gifts must be approved
According to Reuters, a provision of the U.S. Constitution states that Congress must approve any gift from a “King, Prince or foreign state”. Several Republican representatives have criticised Trumps plan to accept the plane siting security issues.
No gifts beyond the salary
Another provision of the Constitution states that the president is banned from receiving a gift beyond salary of the job.
All we can do is wait
If Trump is going to accept the plane, if Congress will approve it, and if he will keep it after leaving office are all questions we can only wait for answers to – but no matter what, this entire ordeal has brought a renewed focus on U.S. anti corruption laws.