President Donald Trump has maintained for over a year that the Boeing 747 jet gifted by Qatar for use as Air Force One would eventually serve as the centerpiece of his presidential library. In May 2025, the president dismissed concerns about keeping the aircraft for personal use, stating, “It’ll go to my library.” However, recent comments from Eric Trump, who is overseeing the library’s planning, have cast doubt on that narrative.
In a July 9 interview with the Palm Beach Post, Eric Trump indicated that a different aircraft—specifically the one with tail number 29000—is intended for the site. This jet is one of two older models replaced by the newer Qatari-gifted plane. Eric Trump highlighted the historic nature of this older aircraft, noting it was commissioned during the Ronald Reagan administration and carried George W. Bush during the 9/11 attacks. “That aircraft’s been flying for 30 years,” Eric Trump said, adding that it has accumulated roughly 6.5 million miles with presidents on board. “So the plan for that is to put that in the base of the building.” He did not mention the status of the Qatari-gifted jet.
The discrepancy leaves the future of the Qatari plane unclear. Donated to the Pentagon more than a year ago, the plane underwent significant refurbishment before President Trump began using it this month. The gift, valued at $400 million, was an unprecedented contribution from a foreign nation. While Trump has described it as a bridge to the next generation of presidential aircraft expected in 2028, the White House, the Trump Organization, and the Air Force declined to comment on its ultimate destination.
Trump has previously defended the acquisition against criticism regarding taxpayer-funded retrofitting costs, insisting the plane would not be his private property post-presidency. Yet, the path to housing any retired Air Force One at a library involves complex hurdles. Historically, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio houses a fleet of aircraft previously used by presidents, including a Boeing VC-137C, also known as the Special Air Mission 26000, which carried eight presidents beginning with John F. Kennedy. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California displays another former Air Force One jet, but it wasn’t transferred there until 2003, 14 years after his presidency. Furthermore, political opposition could complicate these plans; Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, recently filed an amendment to a defense bill aiming to prevent the Qatari plane’s transfer, arguing it should not become a private trophy.
Ethical and security concerns have shadowed the Qatari jet since its arrival. Sen. Jack Reed previously labeled the gift a “brazen attempt to evade constitutional limitations.” Additionally, security protocols have already forced a change in travel plans; during a NATO summit in Turkey, the Secret Service advised Trump to use an older plane because the new one lacked specific security features. Despite these issues, President Trump has praised the aircraft, which he debuted before the Fourth of July, for its lavish amenities and design by the French firm Cabinet Alberto Pinto.
Contributing: Josh Meyer, Hannah Phillips
And if Democrats take control of Congress after the midterm elections, they could try to pass legislation blocking any transfer of the Qatari-gifted plane, which would still have plenty of service life left.
