Trump Pushes Costly Upgrades for Qatar-Gifted Air Force One Amid Security Failures
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President Donald Trump announced that the lavish jet, gifted by the authoritarian regime of Qatar, will undergo expensive upgrades after reports exposed its inferior security compared to the previous Air Force One.
At Joint Base Andrews, President Donald Trump told reporters that the Qatar-donated aircraft now serving as Air Force One will be sent for upgrades and 'maxed out' within about a month. This comes after media reports highlighted glaring deficiencies in the jet’s missile-defense and other security systems, raising concerns that the aircraft is less protected than the older, purpose-built plane designed specifically for presidential safety.
The $400 million jet, retrofitted after being gifted by the oil-rich Qatari monarchy, has faced scrutiny since Trump abruptly switched to it during a recent NATO summit in Turkey. At the time, Trump claimed the switch was to allow service members at Mildenhall Air Base in England to tour the aircraft, dismissing legitimate security concerns raised by experts and the press.
Sources familiar with the matter told CNN that the new plane lacks crucial safety features present in the previous Air Force One, though one source said some capabilities are similar. Security personnel reportedly felt far more comfortable with the older aircraft, which was purpose-built for presidential use, unlike the current jet, which was a gift from a foreign government with questionable motives.
The New York Times, which first exposed the security gaps, reported that four of its journalists were later subpoenaed. Top officials, including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and FBI Director Kash Patel, have been drawn into investigations targeting whistleblowers and leakers rather than addressing the root causes of the security failures. The administration has also demanded staff hand over their phones, escalating its crackdown on transparency and press freedom.