A CNN report on Monday appeared to contradict President Donald Trump’s claim that Qatar reached out to the president and offered him an Air Force One replacement as a “gift.”
Instead it was the Trump administration that first contacted Qatar about acquiring a luxury Boeing 747 by buying it, several sources, including a senior White House official, told CNN.
Impatient because of Boeing’s delayed production of new Air Force One planes, Trump enlisted Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff to gather a list of available substitutes, the White House official said.
Then Boeing gave the Pentagon a list of clients with a spare jet that could serve as the presidential aircraft ― and one of the clients was Qatar. The Pentagon offered to buy the luxury jumbo jet and Qatar was interested in selling it, the sources said.
One of the people interviewed said early talks revolved around leasing the jumbo jet, rather than purchasing it.
