Qatari-gifted Air Force One undergoing 'cosmetic upgrades,' administration source says
The new Air Force One, a Boeing 747-8 gifted by the Qatari royal family, is undergoing cosmetic upgrades. The administration confirmed the plane is being modified, though details regarding security enhancements remain unconfirmed.
Why it matters
The acceptance of a high-value gift from a foreign government for presidential use raises significant ethical and security questions regarding executive travel.
The new Air Force One gifted to the U.S. by Qatar is currently undergoing "cosmetic upgrades" to its interior, an administration source told ABC News on Friday.
This comes after President Donald Trump told ABC's Rachel Scott last month that the new plane would be sent away to get "maxed out" with increased security measures this month and that the process would take about 60 days.
"It's going to be maxed out. Yeah, it's going to go away and -- to make magnificent plane. Interior wise, the best. Engines, the best," Trump told Scott at the time. "[...] it has a lot of stuff, but to max it out, meaning you can go into any territory, it'll take about 60 days. And it's being sent in October to be maxed out."
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