President Trump is weighing whether to christen the new presidential aircraft with a trip to Mount Rushmore next month, marking what would be the first operational flight of a $400 million Boeing 747 donated by Qatar and now undergoing final retrofitting for government use.
The plan would coincide with Trump's July 3 visit to the South Dakota monument as part of nationwide celebrations for America's 250th anniversary. White House officials have discussed the possibility internally, though no final decision has been made, according to senior administration sources and people familiar with the discussions.
The aircraft, referred to by the Air Force as the VC-25B Bridge, has been painted in a new red, white and blue livery, replacing the current robin's egg blue and white scheme associated with the Kennedy era. The plane is undergoing final flight checks and testing to ensure readiness for presidential duty within weeks.
The Qatari donation generated significant bipartisan pushback in Congress when the Defense Department accepted it last year. Questions about security vulnerabilities and the ethics of using a foreign-gifted plane for official government business fueled the criticism. The full modernization effort, including installation of classified military systems, is estimated to exceed $1 billion in total costs.
When Trump leaves office in January 2029, the aircraft is slated to transfer to his presidential library foundation. That transition would require removal of all sensitive government equipment currently being installed.
The new jet will join a fleet that already includes two VC-25A jumbo jets currently serving as Air Force One. Once the Qatar plane enters regular rotation this summer, both existing 747s will remain in the executive aircraft rotation and can still carry presidential designation when needed. The military also maintains a fleet of modified 757s, known as C-32As, that serve the vice president and senior cabinet officials.
Mount Rushmore is preparing for what the National Park Service describes as a spectacular fireworks display on the eve of Independence Day, adding pageantry to Trump's planned visit.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "A foreign-donated jet as the presidential flagship raises real red flags, and flying it for the first time to a July 4 celebration feels more like a photo op than a security-first decision."
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