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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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President Donald Trump receiving a plane as a gift from Qatar's royal family could result in Boeing suing his administration, according to an attorney.
Trump sparked ethical and legal criticism after considering whether to accept the Boeing 747-8, which will be retrofitted with state-of-the-art security and communications to serve as Air Force One.
Qatari officials said the plane was being given by the Qatari Ministry of Defense to the Pentagon. However, Trump said the Boeing 747-8 jet will be used as the official presidential plane, and, according to multiple reports, after he leaves office, it will be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
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Newsweek reached out to Boeing via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Boeing was contracted to deliver a replacement for Air Force One in July 2018, with a deadline of last year. However, the company said it has experienced delays because of factors including the bankruptcy of a key supplier, staff turnover, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump said in February that he was "not happy with Boeing" and may purchase a plane elsewhere.
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What To Know
Attorney Bradley P. Moss told Newsweek that "Boeing would almost certainly have a clear breach of contract lawsuit it could bring, given it remains contracted to produce the new Air Force One planes. That would get messy and heated very quickly."
He added: "Boeing, as well as any contractors and subcontractors, would almost certainly stand to bring a civil action under the Tucker Act."
This act allows individuals to sue the government in specific cases where the government has breached a contract, violated the law, or caused injury.
"Indeed, if this 'gift' goes forward, it is practically axiomatic that some type of lawsuit will occur," Moss said. "Whether it will be strictly for monetary damages, or if an action for injunctive relief were to also take place, remains to be seen."
However, Richard Painter, a chief ethics lawyer under former President George W. Bush, said that while Boeing could sue, it's "very unlikely."
"Boeing perhaps could sue if it affects their contract to build Air Force One, but the contract is still in place so it's very unlikely they will sue," he told Newsweek. "If the plane is accepted and turned over to the Trump presidential library, a subsequent administration could sue to get it back, claiming the unconstitutional gift had become the property of the US government."
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, on Truth Social: "So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA."
What Happens Next
Qatari media attaché Ali Al-Ansari said the transfer remains "under consideration" and that "no decision has been made," according to ABC News.
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