There are growing concerns about the ethical implications if the president accepts what is being described as a “palace in the sky” as a gift.
Reports suggest that the Trump administration is preparing to accept an extraordinarily expensive and unique gift from a foreign government: a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet, valued at $400 million, given by Qatar’s royal family. The luxurious aircraft, often referred to as a “flying palace,” is expected to be handed over to the U.S. president.
According to ABC News, the jet will serve as the president’s new Air Force One until he leaves office, at which point it will be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
The 13-year-old aircraft will undergo modifications to meet U.S. military standards to transport the president and is expected to be officially transferred to the presidential library by January 1, 2029. The costs associated with the transfer are reportedly set to be covered by the U.S. Air Force.
The grand gift is expected to be revealed when the president visits Qatar next week, according to sources familiar with the plans. Trump has already toured the aircraft when it was stationed at West Palm Beach International Airport in Florida this past February.
However, this high-value gift is raising questions over potential ethical issues, especially concerns about bribery, as critics argue that it could influence the president’s decisions or actions.
In discussions on Reddit, many employees point out that their contracts prohibit them from accepting gifts of significant value. Some users mentioned they are not allowed to accept gifts worth more than $50 annually, while others who work “federal adjacent” face even stricter limits, such as $25 per year. One user recalled being forced to decline a $28 t-shirt from a supplier due to these rules.
Others criticized the gift, calling it a form of “bribery at the highest level” and expressing their frustration that the U.S. cannot even build its own Air Force One, labeling it a “failure” for the Make America Great Again movement.
In anticipation of potential legal and ethical backlash, sources stated that the White House counsel’s office and the Department of Justice have already consulted with legal experts. The lawyers have reportedly concluded that the gift, and its eventual transfer to the Trump Library, is legally permissible. According to their legal opinion, it does not violate bribery laws or the Constitution’s prohibition on U.S. government officials accepting gifts from foreign states.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House lawyer David Warrington are said to have agreed that receiving the jet and transferring it to the presidential library before the end of Trump’s term is within the bounds of the law. Furthermore, both the White House and DOJ determined that since the gift is not contingent on any official act, it does not breach the anti-bribery clauses, as the plane is technically being given to the U.S. Air Force rather than to the president personally.