(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
Free, If You Don’t Count a Billion Dollars: Unpacking the Qatar Jet Scandal [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-07-27
The Story So Far: When “Free” Isn’t Free
In May 2025, the Pentagon quietly accepted a Boeing 747-8 from the Qatari government—an aircraft decked out in the kind of luxury usually reserved for oil sheikhs and Bond villains. The press dubbed it a gift for the United States, but it didn't take long for the story to sprout new wings. First, it was supposedly a diplomatic gesture. Then, reporting surfaced that President Trump had personally requested the plane. By June, administration officials were calling it “free”—a bargain compared to the price tag for the main Air Force One program.
Free. As in, “it won’t cost taxpayers a dime.” As in, “all you pay is shipping and handling, and maybe a classified billion-dollar retrofit.” If that sounds too good to be true, it’s because it is.
The Ever-Shifting Narrative
Original pitch: Qatar offers a surplus 747-8 as a goodwill gesture. It’s already kitted out with a VIP interior, so why not let the U.S. have it? Free is free.
Qatar offers a surplus 747-8 as a goodwill gesture. It’s already kitted out with a VIP interior, so why not let the U.S. have it? Free is free. White House spin: Trump “asks” for the plane, with aides touting it as a cost-saving move—an “interim Air Force One” that’ll tide things over until the main VC-25B fleet is ready.
Trump “asks” for the plane, with aides touting it as a cost-saving move—an “interim Air Force One” that’ll tide things over until the main VC-25B fleet is ready. Air Force testimony: Secretary Troy Meink tells Congress on June 5, 2025, that converting the plane for presidential use will run “less than $400 million.” A “bargain,” he calls it, compared to the billions being spent on the main program.
Secretary Troy Meink tells Congress on June 5, 2025, that converting the plane for presidential use will run “less than $400 million.” A “bargain,” he calls it, compared to the billions being spent on the main program. The NYT revelation: On July 27, 2025, The New York Times uncovers a $934 million classified fund transfer, apparently earmarked to retrofit the Qatar jet. The money comes from “excess” in the LGM-35A Sentinel nuclear missile program—one of the most notoriously bloated projects in the Pentagon’s portfolio.
The official line? Everything’s above board. The real story? Nobody outside a handful of Pentagon accountants and White House lawyers knows what this “free” plane is actually costing.
Source: The New York Times, July 27, 2025 (paywall), GAO Sentinel Program Report, June 2025
Accounting Gymnastics (Or: How to Hide Nearly a Billion Bucks in Plain Sight)
Let’s talk numbers. The Air Force’s “sub-$400 million” retrofit estimate was always fishy. A used 747-8—even with gold faucets—doesn’t transform into a flying nuclear bunker for pocket change. But the $934 million figure that surfaced is even more interesting—not because it was ever officially announced as the cost, but because it showed up as a classified transfer from a completely unrelated missile program. Why the secrecy? Why the shell game?
The Sentinel missile program itself is a financial disaster, with costs ballooning by at least 37% (possibly up to 81%) to $170 billion as of FY 2025.
The $934 million transfer is not listed in any Air Force public estimate for the jet; it’s buried in Pentagon budget documents—exactly where you’d hide “excess” funds if you didn’t want anyone to notice.
Air Force officials have privately admitted the transfer is related to the Qatar jet, but won’t say so on the record.
Critics from both parties, and watchdogs like the GAO, call this “inventive” budgeting—a way to keep the real cost off the books just long enough for the President to get his plane, spin the PR, and exit stage right.
Source: GAO Acquisition Portfolio, June 2025, Air Force Secretary’s Testimony, June 2025 (C-SPAN)
What’s Wrong With This Picture?
It’s unnecessary . The main VC-25B fleet—i.e., the “real” Air Force One program—is already underway, if years behind schedule. Each plane in that program is costing $2.5–3 billion, but at least those jets were designed for the job from the ground up. The Qatar plane is an afterthought, a “vanity jet” for a president obsessed with branding and speed.
The main VC-25B fleet—i.e., the “real” Air Force One program—is already underway, if years behind schedule. Each plane in that program is costing $2.5–3 billion, but at least those jets were designed for the job from the ground up. The Qatar plane is an afterthought, a “vanity jet” for a president obsessed with branding and speed. It’s a bad deal . Even the official $400 million estimate would make this the most expensive “free” plane in history. If the $934 million fund transfer is any indication, the real bill could be more than double that. All for an aircraft the U.S. didn’t ask for (until Trump did) and arguably didn’t need.
Even the official $400 million estimate would make this the most expensive “free” plane in history. If the $934 million fund transfer is any indication, the real bill could be more than double that. All for an aircraft the U.S. didn’t ask for (until Trump did) and arguably didn’t need. It’s a shell game . Using classified Pentagon funds—especially siphoned from a nuclear missile program already drowning in overruns—to pay for a luxury jet is the kind of budgetary sleight-of-hand that usually ends with a congressional hearing or a punchline. In this case, it’s both.
Using classified Pentagon funds—especially siphoned from a nuclear missile program already drowning in overruns—to pay for a luxury jet is the kind of budgetary sleight-of-hand that usually ends with a congressional hearing or a punchline. In this case, it’s both. It reeks of entitlement. If reports are accurate, the Qatar jet could become Trump’s personal property after he leaves office—effectively a taxpayer-funded retirement present. Even if it remains government property, the optics are disastrous: a leader bending the rules (and the budget) for personal convenience, not national security.
Source: CNN coverage of fund transfer, July 2025, Air Force cost statements, June 2025
Why This Matters
If you care about government transparency, this is a case study in how not to do it. If you care about waste, this is Exhibit A. If you care about the rule of law, this is a warning shot: what’s to stop any future president from gaming the system for personal gain?
All the while, the Pentagon insists everything is above board. The numbers are classified. The “gift” was free. Except, as usual, the only people who actually get a free ride are the ones already in first class.
The Bottom Line
The Qatar jet was never truly “free.” Its real cost is somewhere between $400 million and nearly a billion dollars, depending on which budget document you can pry open.
The money came from a pot intended for nuclear missiles, not luxury jets.
The justification for the plane keeps changing, and the true story is buried under layers of PR and classified accounting.
If the rumors are true, the jet may become Trump’s to keep—taxpayers footing the bill for a one-way ticket to post-presidential luxury.
If you’re angry, you’re paying attention.
---
Further Reading:
Share this post on Bluesky and X/Twitter.
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/27/2335480/-Free-If-You-Don-t-Count-a-Billion-Dollars-Unpacking-the-Qatar-Jet-Scandal?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
