Trump unveils Qatar-gifted Air Force One in North Dakota visit

President Donald Trump used a stop in Medora, North Dakota, on Wednesday to unveil a Qatar-gifted Boeing 747-8 that will serve as Air Force One, turning a museum dedication into a display of national symbolism and presidential branding. Trump chose the jet’s red, white, dark blue and gold paint scheme, a finish meant to project a more presidential image than the older aircraft it is replacing.

Trump was in Medora to dedicate a museum honoring Theodore Roosevelt, tying the former president’s legacy to his own America 250 message ahead of the Fourth of July. The setting added to the pageantry: the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is set to open on July 4, 2026, on a 93-acre butte in the North Dakota Badlands overlooking the Little Missouri River and Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Its opening weekend runs from July 2 through July 5, and July 4 tickets are sold out.

The aircraft at the center of the trip has already become a political object as much as a transport plane. The Boeing 747-8, valued at about $400 million, was gifted by Qatar and later accepted by the U.S. government as an unconditional donation. The U.S. Air Force said it was working to make the plane safe, secure and equipped for the presidential mission. Aviation reporting has placed the jet at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on June 19 for final commissioning flights and crew training.

Trump brushed off the criticism before boarding, saying Qatar “treated us very well” and describing the leader who helped provide the plane as “very nice.” He also argued that the jet would cost taxpayers very little compared with buying a similar aircraft outright. The acceptance of a luxury aircraft from a foreign government has fueled scrutiny over security, diplomacy and the line between state business and personal relationships in Trump’s second term.

The controversy has also reached Congress. In 2025, House Democrats on the Armed Services Committee sought to block modifications to a foreign-owned aircraft for presidential use, and 27 senators led by Brian Schatz and Chris Coons introduced a resolution condemning the $400 million gift. North Dakota officials, meanwhile, had framed the Roosevelt opening as a major tourism event, with state leaders preparing for one of the biggest holiday seasons in years around the library and broader America 250 celebrations.