Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks in observance of Constitution Day at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, U.S., September 17, 2024.
Seth Herald | Reuters
Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday that President Donald Trump should turn down the gift of a $400 million jet from the royal family of Qatar, citing national security concerns.
“Qatar has a long history of playing both sides,” Pence said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “The very idea that we would accept an Air Force One from Qatar I think is inconsistent with our security, with our intelligence needs … I think it’s just a bad idea, and my hope is the president will think better of it.”
Trump’s plan to accept the lavish Qatari jumbo jet, a Boeing 747-8, and convert it to be used as Air Force One has sparked fierce controversy over the legality, ethics and national security implications of what would be the largest foreign gift ever received by the U.S. government.
Trump previously said any acceptance of the aircraft would be due to delays at U.S. manufacturer Boeing.
“There are profound issues, the potential for intelligence gathering, the need to ensure the president of the United States is safe and secure as he travels around the world,” Pence said. “My hope is the president reconsiders it. I think if Qatar wants to make a gift to the United States, they ought to take that $400 million and plow it into infrastructure on our military base.”
Experts have warned that converting such a jet into Air Force One could take years to complete and could cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars over time, NBC previously reported.
Trump said the plane will be formally given to the U.S. Department of Defense. Once Trump ends his second term as president, the ownership of the gift is expected to be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation. By doing so, the palatial jet would never be owned personally by Trump.
“This highly respected country is donating the plane to the United States Air Force/ Defense Department, AND NOT TO ME,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Sunday. “By so doing, they are saving our country, and the American Taxpayer, hundreds of millions of dollars.”