Trump Reveals Plan to “Max Out” New Air Force One From Qatar
ONP Summary
President Trump announced on July 19 that the Qatari-donated Boeing serving as Air Force One will undergo comprehensive upgrades for defensive capabilities following questions about its security features. A New York Times investigation had identified missing anti-missile defenses on the aircraft, which has been in use since July 1.
Progressive:Defensive gap exposure — progressive outlets emphasized that a New York Times investigation uncovered critical defensive shortcomings, framing the upgrade announcement as Trump's response to this security scandal.
Moderate:Security improvement initiative — centrist outlets reported Trump's plan to address identified concerns about the aircraft's defensive capabilities as a straightforward security enhancement response.
President Trump announced plans to “max out” the security on the $400 million luxury jumbo jet gifted to him by the Qatari royal family, suggesting that insufficient security was indeed the reason he ditched it so abruptly earlier this month.
“Mr. President, this plane does not have anti-missile defense systems on it. Why are you flying it?” a reporter asked Trump Sunday as he was preparing to board following the FIFA men’s World Cup final.
“Well, it has—it has a lot, and you know it has a lot of capability, but as I understand it, in about a month or so, they’re going to send it to have it be maxed out. So they’re going to be sending it, and they’ll have it be maxed out,” Trump replied. “It’ll take about a month.”
While it’s unclear what exactly the president means by “maxed out,” and whether his timeline is accurate, his answer confirms pretty much what every expert was saying about the jet from the moment he got it—that it would take time and lots of money to bring it to the security standards of Air Force One. Yet when Trump refused to fly on the jet following the NATO summit in Turkey earlier this month, he told the media that it was because U.S. soldiers at a European base really needed to see it for some reason. This was his story, even though it was reported that the Secret Service advised him to take the old Air Force One as the war with Iran resumed.
This jet—a questionable gift at best, an obvious bribe at worst—has already cost U.S. taxpayers $400 million. Trump plans to move it to his presidential library in 2029.
Reporter: Mr. President, this plane does not have antimissile defense systems on it. Why are you flying it?
Trump: Well, it has — it has a lot, and uh, you know it has a lot of capability, but as I understand it, in about a month or so, they're going to send it to have it be,… pic.twitter.com/wDimk6RiQm
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) July 20, 2026 ...
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