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By Jesus Mesa
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President Donald Trump on Wednesday took his first flight aboard the new Air Force One, a retrofitted Boeing 747-8 valued at roughly $400 million gifted to the United States by the government of Qatar.
Trump departed Joint Base Andrews in Maryland for Medora, North Dakota, for the dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. The trip marked the plane's first official use carrying a sitting president.
"I'm excited about the first flight. Nobody's ever seen anything like it," Trump told reporters before boarding. "This will be the first flight of what I think is maybe the greatest commercial plane ever built. I said to Boeing, 'What's the best one?' They said, 'This is the best plane ever built, and you're going to have the privilege of flying it.'"
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The jet, formally designated the VC-25B Bridge, arrived at Joint Base Andrews on June 19, ahead of schedule. It has since undergone commissioning flights, described by the Air Force as a "final exam" for a modified aircraft, before being cleared for presidential use.
The aircraft's exterior has been repainted from the light blue and white scheme used since the Kennedy administration to a red, white, navy blue and gold design chosen by Trump. The president said he selected the colors of the American flag.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung posted photos from inside the plane, showing a conference table, leather seating and wood paneling. A pool reporter aboard the flight described a press cabin with lie-flat seats featuring a massage function and individual television screens.
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How Much Did New Air Force One Cost Taxpayers?
Asked by a reporter how much it cost American taxpayers to upgrade the plane, Trump said: "It cost very little relative to what it would cost if we did it a different way. This was a gift from a country that's treated us very well."
The Air Force has said it prioritized "critical mission requirements over aesthetics" in modifying the aircraft, leaving its interior layout largely unchanged. Reported estimates of security-related upgrade costs have varied, with some outlets citing figures near $1 billion for the retrofit, though the White House has not confirmed a final taxpayer-funded total.
The jet is intended as a temporary "bridge" aircraft until Boeing delivers two new, purpose-built Air Force One planes, now expected in 2028 after years of delays and cost overruns.
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However, experts consulted by NBC News said converting a Qatari-owned 747 into a new Air Force One would involve installing multiple top-secret systems, cost more than $1 billion and would take years to complete.
The renovation's price tag has drawn additional scrutiny from congressional budget analysts, who reported last year that the Air Force appeared to fold part of the cost into an unrelated classified transfer from the Pentagon's Sentinel nuclear missile modernization program, according to The New York Times. Air Force officials privately acknowledged tapping funds from that program, which is itself billions of dollars over budget, to help pay for the aircraft's overhaul, the Times reported.
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Photos: Trump Unveils New Air Force One After $400M Overhaul of Qatar Gift
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told Congress last year that the retrofit would likely cost under $400 million, telling lawmakers that many of the expenses "we'd have experienced anyway." The Air Force has since declined to disclose an updated cost, citing classification.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and the Pentagon for comment on Tuesday.
Why Trump's Qatari Air Force One Is Controversial
The Qatari gift, which was announced in May 2025, has drawn sustained criticism from ethics watchdogs and Democratic lawmakers, who have raised concerns over national security, foreign influence and potential conflicts of interest stemming from Trump family business ties in Qatar. Some legal experts also argue that the exchange may violate the Foreign Emoluments Clause.
"It's hard to imagine more brazen corruption or a clearer violation of our Constitution's Emoluments Clause," Senator Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, said in May 2025, adding that the arrangement "puts our country's national security at risk."
Donald Sherman, president of the ethics watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said the arrangement illustrates a broader pattern. "The president time and time again makes clear that he is willing to actively seek gifts from foreign governments where the American people have significant national security interests," Sherman said.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly rejected the criticism.
"This is the same tired narrative that Democrats have pushed against President Trump, his family and his administration for a decade," Kelly said. "There are no conflicts of interest."
What's Next for Trump's New Air Force One?
Trump is scheduled to meet Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in Medora, where he will tour the newly built, 96,000-square-foot Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library ahead of its public opening on July 4. He is set to travel to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota on Friday before returning to Washington for Independence Day festivities marking the nation's 250th anniversary.
The Qatari-gifted jet is expected to lead a flyover of military aircraft over the Capitol on July 4, according to Trump.
An Air Force spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive plans, told the Associated Press that the two current presidential aircraft, known as VC-25As, will remain in service. The spokesperson said those jets and the Qatari aircraft will be available, with the Presidential Airlift Group selecting the appropriate plane for each mission based on operational requirements.
Trump has also said the plane was donated to the Air Force and the Defense Department, not to him personally, and previously said it could eventually be transferred to his presidential library after he leaves office.
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