President Trump on Friday unveiled the Boeing 747-8 that will serve as the new Air Force One, providing the first look at the $400 million luxury plane that the U.S. accepted as a gift from the Qatari government last year.
This is considered the world's most luxurious plane," the president said. He added later that the new version will lead a massive flyover of Washington on July 4, the nation's 250th birthday.
The release said the plane is "safe, secure and equipped with the most advanced technologies necessary to meet the requirements of the presidential mission."
Mr. Trump has rejected criticism that accepting a gift plane from a foreign government presents a conflict of interest or a security risk. The administration has spent the last year retrofitting the Qatari jumbo jet for presidential use. Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social last year. "Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country."
A new Boeing 747-8 is valued at about $400 million, the New York Times reported last year. Retrofitting the aircraft for the presidential fleet was also expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The secretary of the Air Force told a House panel last year that the price tag for retrofitting would be "probably less than $400 million."
(probably always means over what's expected)
Why accept a $400 gift from a foreign country ...if, it takes almost as much to retrofit?
earned 10.7 million
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