“We have an Air Force One that's 40 years old …” President Trump justifies plane gift from Qatar

May 13, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. (UNITED STATES), May 12, 2025 (ANI): United States of America President Donald Trump justified his plans to accept an airplane as a gift from the Qatari royal family, arguing that Boeing's delays in delivering a new Air Force One make it a practical decision. He also added that U.S. has kept Qatar and other Gulf states safe and has no plans to fly the plane for personal reasons after he leaves office. Speking to media, he asserted, "Well, I think what happens with the plane is that, you know, we're very disappointed that it's taken Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One. You know, we have an Air Force One that's 40 years old. And if you take a look at that, compared to the new plane of the equivalent, you know, stature at the time, it's not even the same ball game. You look at some of the Arab countries and the planes they have parked alongside of the United States of America plane, it's like from a different planet." "But it was, I thought it was a great gesture. And I think it was a gesture because of the fact that we have helped and continue to, we will we will continue to, all of those countries, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and others, we keep them safe. If it wasn't for us, they probably wouldn't exist right now. And I think this was just a gesture of good faith. And I don't get it. Someday it will be like Ronald Reagan. They decommission them. You know, they get to a certain age, they decommission them. It'll go to my library. They're talking about going to my library", said US President.