Subtitled News: Trump Unveils New Air Force One, Gifted by Qatar and Equipped with Starlink

U.S. President Trump walks down the stairs of a massive Boeing 747.

The fuselage is painted in dark navy, with a long red stripe running across it.

The iconic light blue livery of Air Force One, introduced during the Kennedy administration, is gone.

In front of hundreds of Air Force personnel lined up at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, President Trump unveiled the new Air Force One.

President Trump emphasized that it is the "most luxurious plane in the world," noting that it is nearly twice as large as the previous Air Force One and can fly farther and faster.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President: Up there, there is communication equipment that no one has ever seen before. It is top-tier. It even has Starlink. My friend Elon will love it too.]

The issue lies in the "origin" of this aircraft.

The Qatari royal family handed over the $400 million plane in its entirety last year.

It is the largest gift ever received from a foreign government in U.S. history.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President: I asked the Emir (the monarch of Qatar). I asked if we could use the new 747 he had. I said I wanted to use it for a while. Our planes were just too old.]

Estimates suggest that the modification costs will range from at least $400 million to over $1 billion.

That money is entirely funded by U.S. taxpayers.

The Democratic Party is criticizing the move, arguing that accepting gifts from foreign entities violates the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.

While President Trump has touted his military operations against Iran as his greatest achievement, the acceptance of a gift from Qatar—a country often criticized for its close ties to Iran—has sparked intense controversy within the United States.

An even greater controversy surrounds the "final destination" of the aircraft.

The White House announced that after President Trump leaves office, the plane will be transferred to his presidential library foundation.

Ultimately, this structure means that a presidential aircraft modified with taxpayer money will end up in private hands.

The new Air Force One, which is fueling heated debate, will make its maiden flight on July 4th, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence.

Reported by Kim, Soo Hyung | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.