It was the Trump administration that first contacted Qatar about the swanky jet that President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed is a “gift,” according to a new report.
Citing four sources familiar with the discussions, CNN reported Monday that Washington reached out to Doha after Boeing informed the Pentagon that it would not be able to deliver the replacements for the aging presidential jets until 2027.
The Air Force began exploring different options to get a replacement plane sooner, and Trump ordered his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to identify a list of viable options, a senior White House official told CNN.
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Boeing reportedly provided U.S. defense officials with a list of its other clients with planes that could be used in the meantime.
“Qatar was one of the clients,” the second source told CNN, adding that the Pentagon “offered to buy the plane” and that Doha said it was willing to sell.
Discussions facilitated by Witkoff reportedly began after the White House backed the idea. The third source told CNN that the initial talks were about leasing the plane instead of buying it.
“The matter is still with the legal teams and no decision has been made at all,” the second source said.
But the new reporting counters Trump’s repeated assertion that the $400 million jet will come “free of charge” as a “gift” after Qatar reached out to the president.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday said the plane was a “donation to our country,” adding the government and royal family “has offered to donate this plane to the United States Air Force, where that donation will be accepted according to all legal and ethical obligations.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast.
“Some people say, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t accept gifts for the country.’ My attitude is, why wouldn’t I accept the gift? We’re giving to everybody else,” Trump told Fox News last week.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and top diplomat, similarly downplayed bipartisan security and ethics concerns over the deal.
“I see that this story is taking a different direction and being more politicized while it’s a normal government-to-government deal,” he told Fox News. “It’s basically part of a cooperation that we’ve been doing a lot together between Qatar and the United States, so I don’t see a point out of this.”
Even Trump’s most ardent supporters have been baffled by his decision to accept a plane from Qatar.
Far-right activist Laura Loomer said on X that she was “so disappointed” by the news.
“I would take a bullet for him. But, I have to call a spade a spade,” she wrote. “This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true.”
