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WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump debuted his new Air Force One on July 1, making his first official trip on the controversial, Qatar-gifted aircraft to honor one of his favorite presidents: Theodore Roosevelt."To be honest with you, I'm excited about the first flight. Nobody's seen anything like it," Trump told reporters before boarding the plane to head to Medora, North Dakota, where he's set to tour and give remarks at the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.The president was joined on the maiden flight by his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., Donald Trump Jr.'s new wife, Bettina Trump, and several White House officials.The Qatari plane's transfer to the United States marked an unprecedented $400 million donation from a foreign country, with the aircraft later requiring extensive additional work to meet security and technical standards to become Air Force One. The gift raised bipartisan ethics and security concerns. Democrats accused Trump of violating the Constitution by accepting a personal gift from a foreign country without congressional approval.Trump did not provide a figure when asked by a reporter how much the federal government spent to upgrade the plane."It cost very little relative to what it would cost if we did it a different way. This was a gift from a country that's treated us very well," Trump said.The new Air Force One – a Boeing 747-B that Trump accepted from the Qatari royal family in May 2025 – has been dubbed a "palace in the sky." It replaced a Boeing 747-200 that was completed in 1990 and served as Air Force One for six presidents, dating back to George H. W. Bush. Trump wanted the new plane to be operating by the Fourth of July holiday.The new plane is painted in shiny red, white and blue, a departure from the old plane's two-toned blue livery designed by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. It features the presidential seal and the words "United States of America" along its side."It's really quite something," Trump said. "This is a plane that the United States of America should have. Our Air Force One was 35, 36 years old. And it would be parked by the new ones like this, and it really didn't look appropriate for our country. So we're very proud of this."The plane, however, isn't expected to operate as Air Force One beyond 2028.It is set to serve as a transition Air Force One while Boeing builds two new presidential 747s, which are expected to be completed in 2028, Trump's final full year in office. The bridge plane, which the Air Force has designated as a VC-25B Bridge, will then go to Trump's future presidential library.Trump showcased the retrofitted plane to reporters for the first time on June 19.The new plane stretches 18 feet, 4 inches longer than the outgoing Air Force One, can carry more weight, and fly slightly faster and farther. It's also 22 years newer than the old Air Force One.Both planes hold about the same number of passengers and have the same height.But the Qatari plane separates itself most visibly with its lavish inside amenities – including creamy tan and leather furnishings, rugs and artwork designed by the famed French interior design firm Cabinet Alberto Pinto."I went to Boeing. I said, 'Who has the best one?'" Trump said. "They said, 'Qatar. There's never been a plane like it.' Frankly, we couldn't build a plane like this because we wouldn't be willing to spend the kind of money necessary.""You're going to get a kick out of it," Trump told reporters before the traveling White House press corps boarded. "There's just nothing like it."Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
