There are no amount of upgrades that will turn that thing into a VC-25. None. No matter what they do it will always insecure. I doubt they’ll even be able to give it midair refueling capabilities without creating unacceptable structural weak points in the airframe.
How much is this "gift" going to cost taxpayers? First to upgrade it and then to have a swarm of fighter jets with it any time it's used because they won't be able to reinforce it or install the proper defenses on it.
The upgrades will cost more than the aircraft sold for a decade ago. In fact, it will cost more than the two similar aircraft are costing to build to AF1 specs. As for what it's worth? There are several unsold at 10% of original price. It's worth nothing - there are zero carriers that want them.
When the 747-8 was in early production, I was an interiors mechanic, occasionally working on that line. 4 of the first 5 wouldn't pass the FAA specifications for passenger or cargo craft, much less AF1 spec. These craft were sold to parties in Asia and the mideast for under $200M. Art of the deal.🤣
Trump looks sick, probably won't live long enough to see it in the "Presidential Library". BTW, we keep books in libraries here, anyone else got aircraft in theirs?
Aside from the favors Dick-tator Don now owes Qatar, did they disclose how many millions of dollars it is going to cost to sweep it for security purposes and outfit it with up to date electronic security? Nope.
Does he know they were trying to sell it for fucking ages? Couldnt even get $250M for it, but sold Trump on the idea it was “worth” $450M. He is thick as mince. With the IQ of an amoeba!
From a purely DOGE perspective… ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Debt & Deficit 💸
$1 billion to retrofit
$135m /yr to staff & maintain
$25,000 /hr to fly
$$ EXTRA $$
WE ALREADY HAVE AN AIR FORCE 1 🤯
…it will be a visual reminder of what #Felon47 values most…. himself
Not usable for 4-5 years even if they gave it priority, due to all the mandatory changes needed to turn it into a VC-25A. The refueling, EM hardening and communication gear alone will cost 200 million
So the airplane that wasn't good enough for the Amir of Qatar, is good enough (I guess) for the Great Pumpkin.
We are now weaker as a nation because our President likes shiny things.
A big, disgusting piece of garbage from disreputable people who, moreover, failed to sell this shit for 250 million. Now, the big Pampers filler is bragging that it's worth 400 million. Good deal, bozo.
With all the airplane issues there’s been this year, I just think maybe we need to give Qatar the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they know something we don’t.
And make it something that will cost us millions simply to maintain and billions more to retrofit, all in a timeframe that's slower than that of the two Boeing AF1's currently in production (and that we've already paid billions for).
Can’t believe that Trump is so cheap to buy. He always says he is a billionaire but happy to sell himself for less than a second hand Boeing jet. #TrumpBogusBillionaire
that'll have to have every single inch gone over with a fine tooth comb, won't be useable any time soon, and will cost the US taxpayer an extra pile of money, while still leaving the fat man in the Qatari pocket. They aren't even hiding the corruption, or the stupid.
So basically, Qatar just bought this country and trump took a very public bribe. Now the AMERICAN TAXPAYERS will be paying BILLIONS to turn into Air Force One. BUT it will then NOT go to the next President. The 🤡will keep it. He claims at his presidential library. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
Trump gets a plane NOT made by the USA w/massive renovations paid by US the taxpayers but we pay a tariff for a anything not made in the USA. Me thinks he will never see the light of day using this outside of this administration.
Oh that's OK then 😅 Democracy's clearly alive and well in the home of the brave and the land of the free 🙄 No corruption to see here, no siree, please move on ...
The reason this plane is now AF One is because the rich guy who owned it knew it’s a money pit. American taxpayers will now have to pay more to keep and maintain this bribe
3,2,1…this flying Trojan Horse going to be the greatest ‘OH 💩’ of this administration when all their shiggty is now sent back to our worse adversaries! We won’t have to worry about planes flying into buildings because we’re housing those planes with a BIGLY Thank you! Mark my word!
And after the billions of taxpayer $$$ used to makemit safe and secure, Trump ia going ro be allowed to keep it in his preaidential library after his term.
(Some obscure Air Force official) OMG, what the HECK are we supposed to do with this thing now? We haven't even ordered the top-secret gear that needs to go in it. (Colleague) We can begin by removing the top-secret gear that's already in it.
I wonder how service members feel about Trump using the military to launder his bribes.
No wonder he stood by the incompetent Hegseth.
I wonder what it feels like to be a cabinet member under Trump, knowing incompetence was your strongest recommendation for the job second only to loyalty.
Fat slob, flying in one 747 is not much different than another as far as the ride goes. The only difference here is sitting his nasty ass on more confortable fabrics.
When the 747-8 was in early production, I was an interiors mechanic, occasionally working on that line. 4 of the first 5 wouldn't pass the FAA specifications for passenger or cargo craft, much less AF1 spec. These craft were sold to parties in Asia and the mideast for under $200M. Art of the deal.🤣
What in the flying "F" !?!
I thought tried to sell this 20 years ago and couldn't. WE the PEOPLE are seeing how Gullible "You know who" actually IS! And~
Excepting this "Gift" is illegal!!!!
Just ⚖️ sayin'
Some estimates put it over a Billion dollars to inspect it and add the necessary security and communication features. Shouldn't FElon fire whoever made this wasteful decision?
It probably will not be ready until after Trump leaves office, and the two Boeing jets will likely be ready by then as well. The refit could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Probably more. Original Boeing contract for the two Air Force Ones was $3.9 billion, and it's reportedly $2 billion over budget (thankfully it's a fixed cost contract)
It gets worse. Whenever the President travels overseas, the Air Force also sends one of its four E4 airborne command posts. These are also modified 747 jets and also need to be replaced soon. The contract for a set of 4 new planes is $13 billion, awarded to Sierra Nevada Corp last year.
The base price for a brand new 747 is $400 million. The Boeing mods cost $1.6 billion FOR EACH PLANE! So, the Qatar "gift" could add a billion dollars to the federal budget.
And I hope it crashes on its' flight over to here. Second hand piece of junk the Qataris didn't want in the first place for the guy who has no brains or taste.
Now we will find out how much it will actually cost us to fix, operate, and upgrade to put in the SCIF, encrypted satellite communications, weapons, SAM countermeasures and fat boy’s gold toilet
It’s actual Airforce Three if you include the two Airforce Ones that are currently in production from Trump demanding them in 2018 WHEN HE WAS PRESIDENT!
Then he wasn't happy about the delivery date and threatened the purchase, causing Boeing, like any reasonable manufacturer, to pull the project out of the 2 year production queue, causing the delay he's now complaining about. Art of the Deal.🤣
It’s an idiotic decision, from many different areas. Strategically/tactical from a security stand point and logistically speaking, there are reasons for 2 identical planes for POTUS. Now it’s this one big giant plane. Just dumb.
All of congress— stupid asses, you are. Seriously, you bunch of twats. You are selling out, the nation, and all the freedoms your military fought and died for— to be respected by a moron.
Well, I guess we now know why Trump increased the budget for the Dept. of Defense and where $1Billion will be spent on: Trump's Qatari donated 2nd-hand & "pre-owned" jet 🤔😱.
Except that to make it AF1, it will have to be gutted and will cost a billion dollars and he plans to keep it for personal use as part of his 'library'. Its a grift like everything else.
In theory, the country would own it. The admin can’t just give it to his library. The hope is the next admin isn’t R and they just scrap it to sell the parts.
He can't just accept it anyway. Congress must approve.
"[N]o Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust... 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."
I never thought that I would be calling a beautiful 747 tacky, but here it is: that plane is not only expensive for us taxpayers, all that gold/fake gold is so tacky, it literally hurts.
Trump is a liar, a felon, a thief, and a con man. Anyone who cannot see that is blind, or ignorant, incapable or unwilling to use the 3 lbs of grey mass between their ears.
US accepts Qatari jet to refurbish, modernize and make Military ready and when Trump leaves office, he takes it back under the pretense of putting it in his Library.
When has Trump ever mentioned a Library before?
Just a ploy for American taxpayers to update a White Elephant jet.
I’d say, take it completely apart and remove all the spy ware, please.
But we all know Trump will tell the crown prince anything wants to know by just asking. Why spy when you can just send a query by text?
When the 747-8 was in early production, I was an interiors mechanic, occasionally working on that line. 4 of the first 5 wouldn't pass the FAA specifications for passenger or cargo craft, much less AF1 spec. These craft were sold to parties in Asia and the mideast for under $200M. Art of the deal.🤣
It is a beautiful plane, and newer than the one Boeing had been building for presidential use. If Trump weren’t taking it with him after he leaves office, I wouldn’t blame him for accepting it
My understanding is that the upgrades are for things like withstanding missile attacks. Maybe we can do without those? Like the so many things we can do without that are in the Big Beautiful Bill?
Donny2Dolls needs to explain, if the jet is a “gift” to the U.S. Air Force, WHY won’t it remain there for use by the next president? What the hell does ANY library need a jet for, let alone a presidential library?
Comments
He is the dumbest ever!
No such thing as a free lunch.
$1 billion to retrofit
$135m /yr to staff & maintain
$25,000 /hr to fly
$$ EXTRA $$
WE ALREADY HAVE AN AIR FORCE 1 🤯
…it will be a visual reminder of what #Felon47 values most…. himself
MANPADABLE 💥
What a turd.
We are now weaker as a nation because our President likes shiny things.
There. Fixt it.
The US did not officially accept this bribe. Donald Trump accepted this bribe. Get it right!!
#GazaChildren #GazaGenocide
#KajaKala #EthnicCleansing #FRANCETV2
I wouldn't fly in that assassination plane if you paid me.
No wonder he stood by the incompetent Hegseth.
I wonder what it feels like to be a cabinet member under Trump, knowing incompetence was your strongest recommendation for the job second only to loyalty.
100s of drums filled with parts and a manual so the library can put it together themselves.
Trump vs Trump on foreign gifts
Trump will be out of office before it could be refurbished and converted.
Then it's supposed to be turned over back to Trump ?
If not, ANOTHER constitutional law broken
Impeach him now!
OTP vp
I thought tried to sell this 20 years ago and couldn't. WE the PEOPLE are seeing how Gullible "You know who" actually IS! And~
Excepting this "Gift" is illegal!!!!
Just ⚖️ sayin'
Helluva dealmaker.
Perhaps there is no need.
Perhaps we have already fallen.
"[N]o Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust... 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."
What a total POS Trump is, that plane is 100% a bribe!
YOU LOSE MAGA THE THINGS YOU DID NOT WANT TO HAPPEN YOU NOW GET!
Unless they disassemble the entire thing and start from scratch.
Has anybody seen the price tag on securing this “gift” from any hidden surveillance or trojan control devices?
When has Trump ever mentioned a Library before?
Just a ploy for American taxpayers to update a White Elephant jet.
Just watch to see that the plane stays in Air Force control
But we all know Trump will tell the crown prince anything wants to know by just asking. Why spy when you can just send a query by text?
They barely have enough time to get the plane repainted, let alone get comes & security systems installed.
That bird will NEVER fly call sign Air Force One.
It may as well be called Trump Bribe One.
Light a candle...
I'd be disappointed if there were any less than 100.