Qatari 747-8I as 'Bridge' VC-25B replacement

The Trump administration is preparing to receive what is likely the most valuable gift ever given to the U.S. by a foreign government — a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet owned by Qatar’s royal family, with an estimated value of $400 million.

ABC News reports that the plane will be made available to President Donald Trumpto use as the new Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which point it will be transferred to the foundation responsible for the Trump presidential library.
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Following reports of the gift on Sunday, the Qataris pushed back, with Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attaché, saying in a statement: “Reports that a jet is being gifted by Qatar to the United States government during the upcoming visit of President Trump are inaccurate.”
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“The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense,” the statement said. “But the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made.”
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https://www.independent.co.uk/news/.../trump-air-force-one-gift-qatar-b2748813.html
 
Here is the president’s response on the matter.
“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” he wrote
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement: "Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump's administration is committed to full transparency."
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https://uk.news.yahoo.com/donald-trump-poised-accept-400million-070452300.html
 
martinbayer said:
Let's get a thoroughly experienced and qualified equine dentist then to examine that particular gift horse's mouth, just to make sure there is no potential Trojan connection whatsoever, stat, shall we? Just make sure there is no potential bug infestation of any sort...
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How about a straight through 'flush' system. OK as long as you have a 'Do not flush in flight' sign.......
 
DWG said:
Biggest bribe in history?
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If only, even since Jan 20th. The jet is already being delivered, I believe, in the latest GTA VI trailer (screencap):

Qatari_Delivery_GTA_VI.jpg

At this rate, if the game's plotlines don't converge in an epic showdown at whatever Mar-a-Lago lookalike Rockstar has conjured up, I'll be sorely disappointed.

The official GTA VI website said:
The psychopaths are in charge. Get used to it. Cal is at the low tide of America and happy there. Casual paranoia loves company, but his friend Jason has bigger plans.
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DWG said:
Biggest bribe in history?

The US Constitution's Emoluments Clause may have something to say on the matter.
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Didn't one of the sheikhdoms also gift a garishly outfitted 747 to President Erdogon a few years back?

It is certainly a bribe but who cares? Par for the course and all that.
The US (stupidly) bribed PRC out of the Soviet orbit for a few years by inducting it into the Western trade alliance.
Qatar is already a close frenemy before the bribe and will remain a close frenemy after. Bribes at this scale are just war by other means. The Great Game rumbles on.
 
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TomcatViP said:
Qatar denies it being a gift and present it as being on loan for free until Boeing delivers the proper airframe.
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That's still a bribe. Even renting it to him at a preferential rate would be a bribe. Even renting it to him a going market rate would be improper, if arguably no longer a "bribe." And his people are claiming he's going to keep it when he's out of office, so someone's definitely fibbing.

Also worth pointing out the VC-25As won't be scrapped while he's using this, so the Taxpayers will be paying for those two aircraft to remain in service plus this one and the two being refit at Boeing. Efficiency.
 
The important point missed in many reports is that Qatar is apparently cautious not to appear breaking openly US laws.
 
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TomS said:
Unlike the US president.
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In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled on July 1, 2024, that former presidents possess absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within their core constitutional powers and presumptive immunity for their official acts. This means they cannot be prosecuted for exercising their core powers, like those outlined in the Constitution, and there's a presumption of immunity for other official actions. However, presidents are not immune for unofficial acts. So, he's good to go.
 
jstar said:
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled on July 1, 2024, that former presidents possess absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within their core constitutional powers and presumptive immunity for their official acts. This means they cannot be prosecuted for exercising their core powers, like those outlined in the Constitution, and there's a presumption of immunity for other official actions. However, presidents are not immune for unofficial acts. So, he's good to go.
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OTOH if he's in receipt of foreign largesse after leaving office does that mean he'd have to register as a foreign agent?
 
Moose said:
Also worth pointing out the VC-25As won't be scrapped while he's using this, so the Taxpayers will be paying for those two aircraft to remain in service plus this one and the two being refit at Boeing. Efficiency.
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The Qatari 747 will presumably lack some of the survivability and comms features of the VC-25s even after any quick refit; anyone want to bet of the likelihood of it being trailed wherever it goes by an actual VC-25 for use in an emergency?
 
DWG said:
The Qatari 747 will presumably lack some of the survivability and comms features of the VC-25s even after any quick refit; anyone want to bet of the likelihood of it being trailed wherever it goes by an actual VC-25 for use in an emergency?
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Very high, so lets double costs of any POTUS trip abroad... VP probably flying in the VC-25s to maintain continuity of government.
 
jstar said:
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled on July 1, 2024, that former presidents possess absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within their core constitutional powers and presumptive immunity for their official acts. This means they cannot be prosecuted for exercising their core powers, like those outlined in the Constitution, and there's a presumption of immunity for other official actions. However, presidents are not immune for unofficial acts. So, he's good to go.
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Except not being allowed to accept "any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State" without Congressional approval is literally right there in the Constitution, so it can't be an official act.

Now, maybe this Congress would just pass such a law, but unless they do, this is clearly unconstitutional. Especially with the proviso Trump dropped on that he gets to keep using it after he leaves office.
 
Titus said:
Didn't one of the sheikhdoms also gift a garishly outfitted 747 to President Erdogon a few years back?

It is certainly a bribe but who cares? Par for the course and all that.
The US (stupidly) bribed PRC out of the Soviet orbit for a few years by inducting it into the Western trade alliance.
Qatar is already a close frenemy before the bribe and will remain a close frenemy after. Bribes at this scale are just war by other means. The Great Game rumbles on.
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There's a difference for a state to 'bribe' another state as part of its overall strategy to advance its own interests vs an individual head of state being bribed by a foreign power, because it could mean the said individual will act in the interest of the foreign nation rather than the interest of his voters.
 
DWG said:
Biggest bribe in history?
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Bigly!

DWG said:
The US Constitution's Emoluments Clause may have something to say on the matter.
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It's major moving flying (Re: blatant) violation of the Emoluments clause.

donnage99 said:
because it could mean the said individual will act in the interest of the foreign nation rather than the interest of his voters.
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Trump has proven time and again that he always thinks of himself first, he always looks after number one.

This 747-8 being grfted donated is a subpar interim replacement for the VC-25As as it doesn't have any of the specialised and highly classified electronics that goes into one of these aircraft (It's a shamelessly transparent bribe).
 
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The major issue with the Qatari Royal 747-8 is that it has none of the USAF-specific communications systems onboard, may not be EMP-hardened, and definitely doesn't have all the defensive systems added that the VC-25s have (I'm sure it has some, probably DIRCM so it's not dropping flares).

Plus it'd have to be practically rebuilt to Yankee White specifications, which is what is taking the VC-25Bs so long.

At best it'd be a transport for Press and minor dignitaries that aren't important enough to ride with the President.
 
Scott Kenny said:
At best it'd be a transport for Press and minor dignitaries that aren't important enough to ride with the President.
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It could be used to accompany Airforce One carrying reporters not in Trump's good graces and minor dignitaries and flunkies who're in the doghouse with Trump.

You are correct that this 747 would have to grounded for several years for physical modifications to its' airframe followed by the installation of classified electronics to bring it up to at least the standard of the VC-25A if not VC-25B which would defeat the ostensible purpose of this 747-8.
 
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Except Trump wants it so he wont have to fly on the VC-25Bs. Which means very limited modifications and the press and VP go on the VC-25Bs.
 
Desertfox said:
Except Trump wants it so he wont have to fly on the VC-25Bs. Which means very limited modifications and the press and VP go on the VC-25Bs.
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I expect that the USSS and the SecDef will twist his arm to disabuse him of this particular notion.
 
Therein lies the rub. The entire reason for getting this particular aircraft is that trump does not want to keep flying on the VC-25Bs. If he is not flying on this plane, there is zero reason to get it.
 
TomcatViP said:
Qatar denies it being a gift and present it as being on loan for free until Boeing delivers the proper airframe.
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So that's permanently then.....

Feller turns up at the shiny gates (NOT Bill) and is met by St Peter.

"Welcome, since you are the n'th million customer and I should have gone to bed eons ago, you can have three wishes, guaranteed".

Feller looks at him and starts to speak.

St Peter inerjects with None of that "Live healthily forever crud or I'll turn you into a Gerbil".

Feller looks at him and say's in a small voice, "How about until Fulham win the FA cup"? (Or favourite underdog team)

St Peter looks at the feller and say's, "Oh sneaky barsteward, alright, I'll put you down as live forever"........
 

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