Trump administration poised to accept 'palace in the sky' as a gift for Trump from Qatar: Sources

In what whitethorn beryllium the astir invaluable acquisition ever extended to the United States from a overseas government, the Trump medication is preparing to judge a ace luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo pitchy from the royal household of Qatar -- a acquisition that is to beryllium disposable for usage by President Donald Trump arsenic the caller Air Force One until soon earlier helium leaves office, astatine which clip ownership of the level volition beryllium transferred to the Trump statesmanlike room foundation, sources acquainted with the projected statement told ABC News.

The acquisition is expected to beryllium announced adjacent week, erstwhile Trump visits Qatar connected the archetypal overseas travel of his 2nd term, according to sources acquainted with the plans.

Trump toured the plane, which is truthful opulently configured it is known arsenic "a flying palace," portion it was parked astatine the West Palm Beach International Airport successful February.

The highly antithetic -- unprecedented -- statement is definite to rise questions astir whether it is ineligible for the Trump administration, and ultimately, the Trump statesmanlike room foundation, to judge specified a invaluable acquisition from a overseas power.

Anticipating those questions, sources told ABC News that lawyers for the White House counsel's bureau and the Department of Justice drafted an investigation for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth concluding that is ineligible for the Department of Defense to judge the craft arsenic a acquisition and aboriginal crook it implicit to the Trump library, and that it does not interruption laws against bribery oregon the Constitution's prohibition (the emoluments clause) of immoderate U.S. authorities authoritative accepting gifts "from immoderate King, Prince oregon overseas State."

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Sources told ABC News that Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump's apical White House lawyer David Warrington concluded it would beryllium "legally permissible" for the donation of the craft to beryllium conditioned connected transferring its ownership to Trump's statesmanlike room earlier the extremity of his term, according to sources acquainted with their determination.

The sources said Bondi provided a ineligible memorandum addressed to the White House counsel's bureau past week aft Warrington asked her for proposal connected the legality of the Pentagon accepting specified a donation.

The White House and DOJ didn't instantly respond to petition for comment. A spokesperson for the Qatari embassy did not respond to ABC's inquiries.

The level volition initially beryllium transferred to the United States Air Force, which volition modify the 13-year-old craft to conscionable the U.S. subject specifications required for immoderate craft utilized to transport the president of the United States, aggregate sources acquainted with the projected statement said.

The level volition past beryllium transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation nary aboriginal than Jan. 1, 2029, and immoderate costs relating to its transportation volition beryllium paid for by the U.S. Air Force, the sources told ABC News.

According to aviation manufacture experts, the estimated worth of the craft Trump volition inherit is astir $400 million, and that's without the further communications information instrumentality the Air Force volition request to adhd to decently unafraid and outfit the level successful bid to safely transport the commandant successful chief.

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As the Wall Street Journal archetypal reported, the aviation institution L3Harris has already been commissioned to overhaul the level to conscionable the requirements of a statesmanlike jet.

Both the White House and DOJ concluded that due to the fact that the acquisition is not conditioned connected immoderate authoritative act, it does not represent bribery, the sources said. Bondi's ineligible investigation besides says it does not tally afoul of the Constitution's prohibition connected overseas gifts due to the fact that the level is not being fixed to an individual, but alternatively to the United States Air Force and, eventually, to the statesmanlike room foundation, the sources said.

The superior craft utilized successful the existent Air Force One fleet includes 2 aging Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets that person been operational since 1990. The Air Force declaration with Boeing to regenerate those craft has been riddled with delays and outgo overruns.

The archetypal declaration was signed successful 2018, but arsenic of past year, Boeing anticipated the craft would not beryllium acceptable until 2029, aft Trump leaves office.

The president has expressed heavy vexation with the delays, tasking Elon Musk to enactment with Boeing and the Air Force to velocity up the process. Those efforts person been modestly successful. Boeing's astir caller estimated transportation day is present 2027, but Trump has made it wide helium wants a caller level this year.

Trump medication poised to judge 'palace successful the sky' arsenic a acquisition for Trump from Qatar: Sources primitively appeared connected abcnews.go.com