US Congressman Ritchie Torres has called for a federal investigation into reports that US President Donald Trump plans to accept a Boeing 747-8 “Flying Palace” worth around $400 million from the Qatari royal family. The aircraft, described by media outlets as the most extravagant gift ever offered to a sitting US president, has raised alarms in Washington over ethics and transparency.

According to a report by Axios, Torres sent formal requests to the Government Accountability Office, the Department of Defense Inspector General, and the Office of Government Ethics, urging them to examine the legality and implications of such a transfer.

“With an estimated value of $400 million, the aerial palace would constitute the most valuable gift ever conferred on a President by a foreign government,” the news website quoted an excerpt from the congressman's letter.

Trump responded to the uproar in a statement on his Truth Social platform, dismissing Democratic objections as politically motivated.

“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” Trump wrote.

He framed the transfer as a cost-saving and temporary arrangement benefiting the US government.

Legal analysis claims gift doesn’t qualify as bribe

Earlier reporting from ABC News noted that the aircraft would function as a temporary replacement for the aging Air Force One fleet until the end of Trump’s current term. After that, it is expected to be transferred to the Trump presidential library.

According to Axios, an internal legal review conducted by the White House Counsel’s Office and the Justice Department concluded that such a gift would not meet the legal criteria for bribery, given the nature of its use and eventual destination.

Aircraft to serve as temporary Air Force One, then library exhibit

The Boeing 747-8, dubbed a “Flying Palace” due to its opulent configuration, has an estimated base value of $400 million. Aviation experts cited in ABC’s report noted that the cost could rise further after installing the secure communications systems required for presidential travel.

Sources familiar with the arrangement indicated that the plane is expected to enter service as the temporary Air Force One before eventually becoming part of the Trump library collection.

Broader context: Boeing delays

The move comes amid Trump’s growing frustration with Boeing’s delayed $3.9 billion Air Force One replacement program, which is now projected to be completed no earlier than 2035 due to persistent engineering and supplier issues.

Earlier this month, Trump tasked Florida-based defense firm L3Harris with converting the former Qatari Boeing 747 into a temporary presidential jet by September 2025 to deal with the Boeing delay.

Boeing's replacement aircraft were expected during Trump’s first term, but setbacks have led to discussions within his administration about possibly suing Boeing or terminating the contract altogether. On April 18, Boeing’s CEO met with Trump in the Oval Office to provide an update.

The modified Qatari jet, on the other hand, is meant to serve as a stopgap and would supplement the aging VC-25A fleet, two heavily modified Boeing 747s dating back to the George H. W. Bush era, which often require extensive maintenance and limit the president’s overseas mobility.