Members of Donald Trump’s inner circle are enjoying joyrides aboard his new $400 million Air Force One gifted by the Qatari government—but accidentally exposing its interior’s fake features.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Monica Crowley, the Trump-appointed ambassador and chief of protocol of the United States, and others shared glimpses inside the Boeing 747-8 on Wednesday morning. As luxurious as it is, however, Trump’s tacky taste was still clearly on display.
Fresh off maternity leave, Leavitt shared photos on Instagram of herself boarding the new red, white, and blue Air Force One, which Trump said will become part of his presidential library after his term ends.
She later posted a vlog featuring herself, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, assistant to the president William Beau Harrison, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller en route to North Dakota, where the president is set to deliver a speech at the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.
“Look who I have the pleasure of sitting with,” Leavitt said in a video that panned to Cheung and Miller eating breakfast. Behind Cheung sat a framed portrait of the Reflecting Pool—Trump’s latest obsession—bathed in orange light.
Leavitt then turned the camera to Miller, 40, who awkwardly threw up a peace sign. “Stephen, how do you feel about the new Air Force One?” Leavitt asked, to which Miller responded: “It’s majestic, it’s perfect for America 250.”
Behind Miller, bookshelves were lined with pristine yellow books. But upon closer inspection, the books appeared to be fake. Several were simply labeled “library.”
A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The gold-accented menu was also on display, offering a ham-and-Swiss croissant with a fresh green salad tossed in blush wine vinaigrette, or a fruit bowl featuring watermelon, strawberries, raspberries, dragon fruit, and blueberries—which are currently in short supply in America, partly due to rising costs.
Crowley, 57, also shared a photo of herself sprawled across a plush white couch emblazoned with the Air Force One logo. “Maiden voyage aboard the NEW Air Force One,” she wrote on X.
Also along for Wednesday’s joyride was a full MAGA entourage, including Eric Trump, Don Jr. and his new wife Bettina, White House aide Natalie Harp, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Last year, in a deal inked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his Qatari counterpart, the plane was described as a “bona fide gift” to the Defense Department, with the U.S. paying nothing for it.
When the “gift”—previously used by the Qatari royal family—was first announced in May, lawmakers, commentators on both the right and the left, and Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, were critical. Some questioned whether the arrangement was really “free,” given Trump’s transactional approach to the presidency.
On Wednesday, when asked directly about the cost to American taxpayers, Trump avoided offering a figure, insisting the cost was “very little relative to what it would cost if we did it a different way,” while emphasizing that the aircraft itself had been “a gift.”
“There’s never been a plane like it,” Trump said. “Frankly, we couldn’t build a plane like this because we wouldn’t be willing to spend the kind of money necessary. They spent top dollars.”
