
President Donald Trump said the new Air Force One plane that was gifted by Qatar will be sent away for upgrades, amid swirling concerns about its security features.
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As he returned from a trip to the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday, Trump was asked by reporters whether the plane lacked missile-defense capabilities.
“It has a lot of capability,” Trump said of the jet, which he started using this month. “But as I understand it, in about a month or so, they’re gonna send it to have it be maxed out… It’ll take about a month,” Trump added. He did not detail the nature of the works.
Trump’s decision to fly back from a NATO summit in Turkey in a different presidential aircraft made headlines earlier this month.
The decision to ditch the Qatari-donated jet set off speculation about why the administration made the switch and the readiness of the new Air Force One.

Speaking to the media at the time, Trump denied security concerns were involved. But he said, “You know the life of a president is very dangerous,” and he added later: “I’m No. 1 on the kill list for Iran.”
NBC News reported that the Secret Service urged Trump to take the old plane home from Turkey because he was departing from a location near the Middle East and the U.S. had just resumed hostilities with Iran.
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Why Trump was advised to not use Qatari-gifted Air Force One plane
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Four New York Times journalists were subpoenaed by the Justice Department this month, after writing stories about security concerns involving the new Air Force One.
The superluxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet was gifted from the royal family of Qatar in 2025 to be used by Trump as the new Air Force One.
In June, Trump welcomed its delivery in an appearance at Joint Base Andrews just outside Washington.
Decked out in a red, white and dark-blue blue color scheme — a departure from the lighter blue on the previous model — Trump called it a “flying White House at a level of luxury no one has ever seen before,” adding “nobody tops this one.”
He flew on it to North Dakota on July 1 during a museum event honoring Theodore Roosevelt.
The ornate jet is meant to serve as a temporary replacement as Boeing works on delivering long-delayed next-generation Air Force One planes expected in 2028.








