The Qataris Gave Trump an Airplane. He Crippled Their Country in Return.
This report details President Trump's desire to acquire a luxury Boeing 747 from the Qatari government for use as Air Force One. The article suggests that despite the gift, the administration subsequently implemented policies that negatively impacted Qatar.
Why it matters
It raises questions regarding presidential ethics, foreign influence, and the intersection of personal interests with national security procurement.
The tiny Gulf state is learning that the U.S. president doesn’t always keep his end of the deal.
Illustration by Alisa Gao / The Atlantic. Sources: Mahmud Hams / AFP / Getty; Saul Loeb / AFP / Getty; Win McNamee / Getty. August 25, 2026, 7:24 AM ET Share Save D onald Trump really wanted the plane. The Qataris had flown the $400 million Boeing 747 to West Palm Beach just after he returned to the White House so he could run his hands over the soft leather chairs and inspect the sycamore- and wacapou-wood veneers. A sales brochure had described the en-suite master bathroom, with its mother-of-pearl inlays, as “almost a piece of art.”
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