Donald Trump is pushing to secure a new presidential jet—reportedly a luxury Boeing 747 donated by the Qatari royal family—as quickly as possible, citing deep frustration with Boeing’s delayed delivery of the official VC‑25B replacements. However, experts say retrofitting the foreign aircraft to meet stringent presidential standards could cost hundreds of millions, take years, and pose serious security risks

Trump's impatience is evident: he’s openly exploring alternative solutions, including accelerating production timelines and even waiving certain technical requirements. During calls with Boeing and Tesla/SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Trump has floated ideas like easing “Yankee White” security clearance protocols to speed up manufacturing.

The Air Force estimates that retrofitting the Qatari 747 could cost under $400 million , though others warn the final price may reach $1 billion or more — especially when accounting for countermeasures, hardened communications, and nuclear survivability systems .

Further complicating matters, converting a luxury jet into a fully capable airborne command center requires extensive overhauls and rigorous certification—work that could stretch well past Trump’s desired timeline. Some defense officials caution that cutting corners may compromise national security.

Trump defends the move as practical, citing prolonged delays in Boeing’s VC‑25B project—which has shifted from an expected 2024 delivery to potentially 2027–2028.
Critics, however, raise legal and ethical concerns over accepting a foreign “gift” and using taxpayer dollars to retrofit it.