President Donald Trump on Wednesday conducted the first official flight aboard a Boeing 747-8i donated by Qatar, now operating as the interim Air Force One. The aircraft, originally part of the Qatari royal fleet, was accepted by the Pentagon in 2025 and has since undergone extensive security and communications retrofits, with US Air Force officials confirming a retrofit cost of approximately $400 million. The flight from Joint Base Andrews to Medora, North Dakota, for the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library marks the operational debut of a jet that will serve until Boeing delivers two purpose-built replacements, now expected in 2028.

Viewed from Washington, the gift has drawn sharp criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, who argue that accepting a luxury aircraft from a foreign government violates constitutional restrictions on foreign emoluments and creates potential leverage for Doha. Congressional critics have also raised national-security concerns, questioning whether a plane originally configured by a foreign state can be fully secured for presidential transport. The White House and the Air Force maintain that the aircraft meets all required standards, with Trump telling reporters that the cost to taxpayers was “very little relative to what it would cost if we did it a different way” and praising the Qatari emir as “very nice.”

Analysts in European and Middle Eastern capitals note that the gift coincides with Qatar’s role as a key mediator in US-Iran nuclear talks, lending a strategic dimension to the transaction. The plane’s debut also aligns with Trump’s intensive use of patriotic symbolism—including the 250th anniversary of American independence and a planned Mount Rushmore visit—ahead of November’s midterm elections. Further scrutiny has been fuelled by the administration’s disclosure that the aircraft will eventually be transferred to Trump’s presidential library, a move that critics say could allow personal use after his term, and by financial filings showing the president earned roughly $1.2 billion from crypto ventures in 2025.

The Air Force has confirmed the aircraft is fully operational and will participate in Independence Day flyovers over Washington. Congressional oversight committees have signalled interest in reviewing the gift’s compliance with the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, though no formal hearings have been scheduled. The controversy is expected to intensify as Trump uses the plane for campaign-style events in the run-up to the elections.