The DOD has taken possession of Qatari gift

Or what may also be called a reasonable estimate albeit on the high end. If the plane was actually converted to a VC25B suitable for use as Air Force One the price may only be several hundred million, a real bargain for the taxpayers considering that we are already to paying Boeing to convert two other 747s for use as presidential transport aircraft.

 

Several million versus a billion is not a reasonable estimate

 

I wonder what the discussion would like if sleepy Joe took the plane instead of big gov Don.

 

Exactly. It would be hard to find a more blatant violation of Article I, Section 9, Paragraph 8 of the Constitution which provides that:

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

Just a guess the decision to accept that Qatari jet was probably made solely by Pete Hegseth the least qualified person to hold the position of Secretary of Defense since the Department was created by Congress in 1947. I seriously doubt that any senior Air Force officers or senior career officials in other agencies involved in decisions regarding presidential transport and security concurred with the decision to acquire the plane.

 

Several hundred million, like maybe $700 million. If you click on the link a posted yesterday you could read the rationale for the high cost.

Edit: It's rather obvious that you're trolling. More than most of the posters to this board you know why the conversion of the plane would be so costly and your previous posts in which you said that it would never be used as AF1 were absolutely correct. It's nothing more than an unconstitutional gift to the Trump and the pretext that it's being gifted to the US government is so absurd that the reality of the transaction is obvious on it's face.

 

I don’t think we should relish the corruption or the incompetence of any government official, but that is just me. I think it is a good litmus test to tell where our ultimate allegiance lies. Is our allegiance first to our party or first to our country?

I am not naive to think that Trump is immune from the temptation to greed. I am also not naive to think that Trump is an expert that should be setting and directing US macroeconomic policy by executive order. He certainly has his weaknesses and deficiencies, but I hope every president, senator, judge, governor, and representative of this country irrespective of party governs in a morally upright and competent way for the good of our country.

 

Vax is spinning himself in circles trying to defend it. It's quite entertaining

 

A “free” plane (pretty damn naive to assume there are no strings attached) and we the people will have to spend a billion dollars to make it airworthy as Air Force One, when Trump could have simply continued to use the same two AF1s until the new planes are ready in 2027. It’s amazing the lengths you’ll go to excuse his grift and terrible decisions that cost us tax payers dearly.

 

It will have substantial costs to upgrade, take years, and trump will be more beholden to the ME.
But there use to be a lot of pride seeing AF1 and its escorts. All USA. Now, it will be of symbol of Qatar’s wealth, a bribe, and our corrupt potus.


“I have concerns about an aircraft coming to the United States from the Qataris, from a security aspect and questions too of accepting gifts from foreign governments,”

senior House Armed Services member Rep. Rob Wittman(R-Va.)

 

A 747-8 costs ~$400M and we’re paying $1.95B for a modified version. Where do you think the $1.55B is going?

 

Negotiations involving the plane began during the Biden administration. Joe Biden says don't blame me, since 2021 I've been a vegetable.

As for the Trump Library taking possession of the plane, the library is controlled not by Trump but by the National Archives and Records Administration

 

Please provide a credible link. As far as the National Archives and Records Administration is concerned it's the role of that agency to manage presidential records and other documents in the libraries. I'm not sure whether a tricked out luxury 747 can be considered a document. By the way the issue isn't whether the title and possession of an aircraft previously used Air Force can be transferred to the Trump library as an exhibit. It's whether Trump will have access to the aircraft to use for personal transportation. Color me skeptical but it sure looks like the supposed transfer of the plane to Trump's presidential library is device to circumvent the Emoluments Clause of Constitution. I seriously doubt that if the transfer of the plane goes through it will end up like the 707 previously used as Air Force One at the Reagan library as static display incapable of ever flying again.

 

Paint job?

 

I can only speak to the communications systems.

 

If the plane goes to the Trump Library the National Archives control it.

The link you wanted: Here's What The Left Won't Tell You About the Qatar Plane Deal

 

My father worked in AFOTEC which is responsible for creating the Air Force One specifications. He wouldn’t go into any details, but he similarly holds the view that a retrofit is ridiculous (both cost and time) with the other planes imminent. And before you imply his view is politically motivated he’s a 3x Trump voter.

 

AF1 must meet the same specs regardless of where it flies

 

Imagine what the Trump Library will look like? Gold everywhere, ostentatious amounts of it. Lifesize figures of him you can take a selfie with ( for a fee), and all the maga bling you care to buy in the largest room at the facility, the grift shop. Don't forget the US Constitution door mats.