This official stated that after Trump leaves office, the aircraft will be donated to the Trump Presidential Library, allowing him to continue using it as a civilian. Considering the extremely high value of this aircraft and its luxurious configuration, coupled with Trump's plan to continue using it after leaving office, it naturally raises significant ethical issues. A new Boeing 747-8 commercial aircraft is priced at approximately $400 million.
The private plane currently used by Trump is nicknamed "Trump One," a Boeing 757, which was put into service in the early 1990s and once belonged to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
Trump purchased it in 2011. If he continues to use the aircraft gifted by Qatar after leaving office, he will have a much newer private plane.
This plan was first reported by ABC News and is expected to be officially announced in the coming days. At this time, Trump is embarking on his first long-term overseas visit as president, traveling to three Middle Eastern countries, including Qatar.
This arrangement will fulfill his wish to replace the "Air Force One." Previously, the government's contract with Boeing for the new "Air Force One" has been repeatedly delayed. In February this year, Trump visited the 747 aircraft owned by Qatar at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida. This aircraft has been in service for more than a decade. The New York Times reported at the time that this aircraft was being considered for use as the new "Air Force One."
Officials said that this aircraft will be modified by military contractor L3 Harris in Texas. Once the government approves the procurement method, the project can begin. It is expected that the military functional configuration will be completed by the end of the year, allowing Trump to use it during his term.
A Defense Department official said on Sunday that the Air Force has not yet signed a contract with any contractor to modify the Qatari 747 aircraft to meet the safety standards of "Air Force One," and the Air Force cannot legally proceed with related work before formally accepting the aircraft.
This official said that even if the aircraft is ultimately accepted, signing the contract and completing the upgrades would take a considerable amount of time.
"We're talking about years, not months," the Defense Department official said.
Officials said that the government model for handling the ethical issues of this donation refers to the approach used when the Reagan Presidential Library received his retired "Air Force One." However, at that time, Reagan himself did not continue to use the aircraft but instead displayed it in the library exhibit.
Another source familiar with the matter revealed that Qatar initially proposed directly donating the aircraft to the Trump Library, to be used by Trump during his term. However, government legal advisors stated that this would violate the Constitution's compensation clause.
This official said that the current plan has been approved by government legal advisors, who determined that it does not violate the constitutional compensation clause, and the Department of Defense can accept this gift.
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1831860420249609/
Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's personal views.