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Posted on 05/13/2025 10:20:40 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The Democrats have been desperate to find a scandal to pin on Trump, and their latest attempt may be the stupidest yet.
It was recently reported that the Trump administration is gearing up to accept a high-end Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the Qatari royal family—a luxury aircraft that will serve as a temporary Air Force One during President Trump’s second term. Naturally, the left is already losing its mind, but here’s the reality: this is a win for taxpayers.
In the wake of media hysteria over the offer from Qatar to provide the United States with an aircraft, Buzz Patterson, a retired Air Force pilot, White House military aide, and carrier of the nuclear football, has stepped in to inject a dose of reality—and firsthand experience—into the conversation. While critics scramble to paint the move as some kind of scandal involving President Trump, Patterson makes clear this is nothing new or scandalous, and absolutely nothing that warrants the breathless outrage.
“I’m going to try one last time,” Patterson began in a post on X. “The Qatar B-747 was built in the US by Boeing. They are offering a newer 747 to replace one of the two current AF-1s that have been flying for 40 years. Which are tired and need to be replaced.”
That last point is key. The current Air Force One planes are aging relics that first entered service when Ronald Reagan was in the White House. Replacing them has been a long, slow, and—thanks to bureaucratic delays—frustrating process. Patterson, who served as a military aide during the Clinton administration and has flown on Air Force One over a hundred times, says the Qatar aircraft would simply help fill the gap until Boeing completes new replacements—something that won’t happen for years.
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
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And the idea that this somehow jeopardizes national security is also off base.
“They will get the aircraft and perform all of the security and the installation of the systems that AF-1 requires to safely move our president around the world. Not the Qatari’s,” Patterson explained. “And you and I will pay for that but not the $400 million the 747 would normally cost.”
In other words, the U.S. is saving money and getting a newer, U.S.-made aircraft to bridge the gap until Boeing finally delivers the long-overdue replacements. And contrary to the media’s alarmist tone, this sort of arrangement isn’t unprecedented.
“The wing based at Andrews has also purchased aircraft from other countries in the past which are currently flying our VP and senior government officials. This is NOT new,” Patterson said.
That's simply not true.
Another distraction.
Would you share your source for this?
Thanks,
It isn't what Trump has said. This guy on Twitter seems to be just making up facts to make the story sound better, but there's no need. It's not a big deal.
I wish Trump would not take that plane. I have heard the rationalizations, yes, but it still looks like a bribe.
Isn’t it that same country of QATAR now partially providing finance for the proposed EPIC City deep in the heart of Texas?
Hasn’t the progress of building that city been at least temporarily ‘halted’ by Governor Abbot while Atty. Gen. Bondi investigates the whole situation? Every world leader knows enough about Trump to know he would love having a plane like that at his disposal?
If Trump accepts this ‘(Trojan Horse?) gift’, I expect EPIC City will be allowed to keep building, albeit, under certain reduced and specific conditions, that would probably limit the acreage.
$400 million kind of is a big deal.
Don’t be a media victim over a non-story.
Trump should just have the military pay Qatar 20 grand a moth to lease it .
Luckily, we're not paying for it. It's a gift from the Qatari people.
I want him to take the plane and make them go nuts over something that does not matter.
https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/tag/grover-cleveland-statue-of-liberty/
The 747 is a gift to the people of the United States and if it had been gifted while Biden or Obama were president, the news would hardly warrant a mention on the back page of the Washington Post.
Trump could promise to fly it to climate conferences - when we pull out.
What is the call sign painted on the tail of the airplane the President rides in ???
It is true... the plane is no a gup to Trump but the US.. it will belong to the US Air Force..
if it was gift to Trump and he owns .. his private aircraft.. and he owns a few.. the US government would not be maintaining it fueling it
and Trump would get to keep it and use it after he got out of office....
Hell if Trump is “given” the plane personal then “Owns” the plane... Even in office
he could sell it and pocket the money ...he could give it to his son...it would be his personal property and his to with as he wanted the day he got it
....you going to tell us any of that is true?.. quit the supit BS
This is the law that covers this.
The law on a U.S. President receiving gifts depends on the source. If it’s from a foreign government or official, the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause (Article I, Section 9) says they can’t accept gifts without Congress’s consent. The Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act of 1966 sets a limit—currently $480 as of 2025. Anything over that is considered a gift to the U.S. government, not the President personally, and gets logged by the State Department. If the President wants to keep it, they have to buy it at fair market value; otherwise, it goes to the National Archives or a presidential library.
For domestic gifts, like from U.S. citizens, the President is generally free to accept them unless the giver is a “prohibited source”—someone seeking action, doing business with, or regulated by the government. Ethics laws, like the Ethics Reform Act of 1989, say they can’t solicit gifts from those sources, and anything over $350 (as of recent reports) must be disclosed in annual financial reports. If they keep valuable domestic gifts, they might owe taxes on the appraised value. The White House Gift Unit handles most gifts, and some—like food or consumables—get destroyed by the Secret Service for safety. -AI Grok -
President Trump is not getting anything.
The registration number of that aircraft is 92-9000/ADFDF9.
“He” isn’t taking it
But the bottom line, All gifts made from one nation to the POTUS are always considered to be the property of the USA and not the President. This is never an issue with any President except Trump, then it's a sandal of course.
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