The old Air Force One completed its last flight on June 18. Its replacement is a lavish $400 million “flying palace” donated by Qatar. As the Trump administration negotiates with Iran, this gift resurrects questions about how much this Middle Eastern autocracy is influencing the president’s foreign policy.

Qatar was among Hamas’s main sponsors, and it used its leverage with the United States to prevent Israel from defeating the terrorist group. There is evidence that it is trying a similar tactic to protect Iran.

• The Washington Post reported on June 12 that Qatar offered to pressure the U.S. to call off its bombing campaign, conditional on Iran leaving Qatar’s main natural gas field alone.
• According to the Post, pending Iran’s agreement, “Qatar would halt gas production unilaterally—a move that would send energy prices soaring and put economic pressure on the United States and Israel to shorten the war.” Iran struck the field anyway. But on May 14, during peace talks with Iran, President Trump announced he had signed a deal with Qatar “to generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion.”
• No public knowledge directly links the agreement to the negotiations, but given Qatar’s track record, the circumstances are highly suspect. At the very least, President Trump’s acceptance of lavish gifts from Qatar at moments like this suggest a conflict of interest.

Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry had strong words against the arrangement when it was announced last year. In the July 2025 Trumpet issue, in “Don’t Accept Gifts From Terrorists,” he wrote: “Do you think the Qatari leaders offered President Trump that jet because they love him? They are flattering him. … They hate him and everything he stands for. These Muslims want everybody to serve their god their way—and they use force to achieve that! They want to take over America and kill nonbelievers! … The Qataris are giving an airplane to a man they know is vulnerable and is caving in. When you do things like this, Satan will not let you get away with it! … Trump has opened the door, and he is inviting satanic influence—that is what this is about.”