The September trip will be the first time the new plane is flown overseas since Mr. Trump traveled to Turkey for a NATO summit.
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Trump to travel overseas next week on Qatari jet, sources say
Trump is set to travel overseas next week, not on the familiar blue-and-white 747, but on a Qatari jet, which some are already calling 'Qatari Air Force One.' Sources confirm the arrangement, and the optics are as subtle as a tarmac full of limousines. The symbolism is rich: a president whose brand is America First, hitching a ride on a foreign government's plane. Maybe it's just a matter of convenience, or maybe it's a frequent flyer program for former heads of state. Either way, it sends a message—one where the flag on the tail isn't ours, but the bill for the trip probably still is. For most, the idea of the highest office in the land outsourcing travel plans might seem odd; for this administration, it's just another Tuesday. The only thing that hasn't changed is who gets to pick up the tab.
“So the former president's new Air Force One is a Qatari plane. Next thing you know, he'll charge the Secret Service for checked baggage. The only thing American about this trip is the bill.”
“It's perfectly normal for former leaders to travel on foreign jets when circumstances call for it. This is about logistics, not symbolism, and certainly not influence. The important thing is that the trip goes smoothly—which, it will, obviously.”
The receipts
President Trump is expected to use the new Air Force One next week, sources say, marking its first foreign trip since Trump secretly switched planes while leaving Turkey.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.