EXCLUSIVE: Inside Donald Trump's Air Force One 'Obsession' That 'Led to Qatari Jet Hunt'

Donald Trump is said to have pushed relentlessly to accelerate the replacement of Air Force One, with his determination eventually prompting officials to search globally for a suitable Boeing 747-8, including a Qatari-owned aircraft, as frustration mounted over years of delays to the long-running modernization program.

RadarOnline.com can reveal the president's interest in the project is believed to have stretched back to his first election victory in 2016, when he was briefed on the extraordinary engineering, security and defense systems built into the aircraft used to transport the commander-in-chief.

After returning to the White House following the 2024 election, Trump, 80, is said to have intensified efforts to speed up the program, dispatching to inspect work at a Boeing facility in Texas while his transition team also requested that the US Air Force investigate whether another 747-8 already in service could be acquired more quickly than waiting for the delayed fleet.

A source familiar with the discussions exclusively told Radar: "Trump has always viewed Air Force One as far more than just transportation, and it has been an obsession with him. He believes the aircraft reflects American strength, and he became increasingly frustrated by the pace of the replacement program. Once he returned to office, there was a clear determination to explore every possible option to get a new aircraft into service sooner."

The source added: "Looking at a Qatari-owned jet was never presented as a simple shortcut because everyone understood the scale of the work involved. It was instead viewed as a contingency while officials assessed whether years could realistically be shaved off the timetable."

According to The New York Times, the origins of Trump's fascination with the aircraft can be traced to a December 2016 meeting at Mar-a-Lago, where retired Air Force General Carlton D. Everhart II explained the sophisticated technology required to ensure Air Force One could continue operating even during the most extreme national emergencies.

Everhart is said to have described how the aircraft had served as a mobile command center for President George W. Bush during the September 11 attacks and outlined the complex communications and defense capabilities needed to protect a serving president.

The Times said recalling the meeting, Everhart said Trump responded confidently about aviation, reportedly telling him: "I know about my airplane, because I fly all the time" – referring to his private aircraft, often nicknamed Trump Force One.