The Trump administration is quietly spending nearly $1 billion to retrofit a “gifted” Qatari jet into a new Air Force One—money that’s been diverted from America’s already over-budget nuclear missile modernization program. While the aircraft was presented by President Trump as a “free” plane, the true cost of making it flight-ready for the commander-in-chief is being concealed behind layers of classification and budgetary sleight of hand, the New York Times reported.
A “free” jet with a billion-dollar price tag
President Trump, eager to fly in a new presidential jet before leaving office in 2029, accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar’s government earlier this year. Though he described it as a no-cost gift, the reality is more complicated. The Air Force has confirmed, off the record, that funds from the Sentinel nuclear missile program—a long-troubled $140 billion initiative to replace aging Minuteman III missiles—are being used for the plane’s renovation. A $934 million transfer quietly appeared in a Pentagon document as a “classified project.”
Renovation disguised in black budgets
While black budgets are not unusual in Washington, this one is notable both for its scale and what it hides: advanced communications systems, antimissile defences, and the removal of suspected Qatari surveillance devices. Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink told Congress that the actual cost could be “less than $400 million,” but insiders familiar with presidential aircraft retrofits say the number is likely far higher, especially given the need for gold-trimmed interiors and medical facilities that match Mr. Trump’s tastes.
Nuclear missile overhaul loses out
The funds redirected for the Trump plane were originally allocated to the Sentinel program, which aims to rebuild 400 aging nuclear missile silos in Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota. The program has already soared 81% over initial cost estimates, from $77.7 billion to $140 billion. Defence analysts argue that the land-based missile leg of the U.S. nuclear triad is the most vulnerable and outdated, but politically, it’s a powerful employer in key rural states—and now a convenient cover for expensive, classified presidential perks.
Ethics and security concerns mount
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, has criticized the administration’s secrecy and priorities. Accepting a luxury jet from a foreign government with whom Trump has extensive business ties, then using nuclear funds to renovate it, raises both ethical and national security red flags. “We’re weakening our credibility to fund a vanity project for President Trump,” she said.
A plane for posterity—or politics?
The refurbished plane is expected to be transferred to the future Trump presidential library after his term ends. Whether or not it sees action as an official Air Force One, the project reflects the administration’s tendency to blur the lines between state assets, campaign optics, and personal branding. For now, the price of a “free” jet remains buried in classified budgets—even as the Air Force continues to build billion-dollar missiles using aging infrastructure built during the Nixon-Brezhnev era.
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