The U.S. and Qatari governments are still working out a deal in which the Qatari royal family will give a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet for President Donald Trump to use as Air Force One, The Washington Post reports.
Although the Pentagon took physical possession of the jet last week, a White House official confirmed to The Hill that "the details of the gift are being finalized by legal teams" representing the governments as of Thursday.
The Post reports that Doha is still waiting for the US to clarify the terms of the agreement, which would include a memorandum of understanding that states the Trump administration initiated the deal and that Doha is not responsible for the jet's future ownership.
"As the president has said, this will be a sovereign-to-sovereign gift to the U.S. Air Force," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement.
According to Air Force officials, the jet was "very poorly maintained" and could require up to $1.5 billion in repairs and upgrades before it can function as Air Force One, in addition to the $500 million estimated for work to convert the jet to civilian use for Trump once he leaves office.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.