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submitted 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

The Boeing 747-8 being offered to Donald Trump by Qatar once served the Qatari royal family and has been sitting unsold for years.

The jet, a lavishly configured version of Boeing's largest passenger aircraft, has been lingering without a buyer since being put up for sale in 2020, according to aircraft listings and aviation analysts.

John Goglia, a former member of the National Transportation Safety Board, told Forbes that giving the 747-8 to the U.S. would allow the Qataris to avoid maintenance costs that were only getting higher—with the 747 fleet shrinking worldwide and fewer mechanics available who know how to work on them.

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[-] RamblingPanda@lemmynsfw.com 166 points 7 months ago

Trump is even bad at being bribed... 🙄

[-] SoloCritical@lemm.ee 39 points 7 months ago

Right? Being gifted a plane is kind of a financial nightmare.

[-] SecretSauces@lemmy.world 28 points 7 months ago

Its like "winning" a boat or car. Great, you have this thing you couldn't afford. Now pay the taxes on it, that you can't afford.

But also, we all know Trump doesn't pay taxes.

[-] ArtVandelay@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)
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[-] Someone@lemmy.ca 5 points 7 months ago

What kind of country taxes prizes? Seems a bit ridiculous if you ask me.

[-] yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 7 months ago

Prizes are income, otherwise companiea would hold a raffle each month to determine your salary.

[-] Gloomy@mander.xyz 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Or, and this ja a wild one, or the law could give a devinition of "price" that doesn't open it up for abuse while not taking from people who won something.

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[-] MutilationWave@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 7 months ago

Good ol USA, at a high rate.

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[-] glitch1985@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

This is the same energy as people who buy their SO a vehicle without any input. Enjoy the new car payments babe.

[-] dan1101@lemm.ee 3 points 7 months ago

Not when taxpayers are paying for all the expenses.

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[-] Ledericas@lemm.ee 3 points 7 months ago

not even asking for new items, is also Used and expensive. even his older jets/planes he has is very old.

[-] El_guapazo@lemmy.world 66 points 7 months ago

It's the modem day white elephant. Lol

[-] fulcrummed@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago

I had to do a double take. I thought your comment might have had an issue with keming…

[-] And009@lemmynsfw.com 5 points 7 months ago

Wait a minute... What's modem

[-] nibble4bits@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 7 months ago

As long as it's Hayes compatible.

[-] Kurious84@eviltoast.org 35 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Trump is like a little baby who wants something he knows he shouldn't have. Waaa. I want palace. If he thought he was leaving it 4 years he wouldn't accept.

Why don't they give it to him after his term is up. See if he goes for that. Promise you he wouldn't go for that deal. :). Wonder why.

At least it exposes his selfishness and greeed which is obscene that people need to have this demonstrated given the man clearly has some serious personality issues.

[-] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 10 points 7 months ago

Tell him that retrofitting it to AirForceOne security standards would "ruin the beautiful golden interior" so it will be better to just wait until he's a private citizen again and won't have to follow those stupid security rules. Meanwhile, as President, he'll have to keep using the "little" presidential aircraft.

He might be tempted into quitting early, or at least not extending his reign. Or he'll insist on using the unsecured plane, and maybe something catastrophic will happen over the Pacific.

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[-] towerful@programming.dev 3 points 7 months ago

He will take it with him if he leaves office.
He will XO a charity gift to the newly found "Trumps School For Governments That Can't Democracy Good", and use it to fly around and give intimate talks at lavish dinners (not keynote speeches. Just be at a table)

[-] MuskyMelon@lemmy.world 33 points 7 months ago

It'd be funny if the US decides to accept the plane and then Boeing spends the next 4 years retrofitting it with all the military communications and air defense features that the typical Air Force One carries. Then if Trump leaves office, because of military secrets, they spend the next 4 years stripping it back down to civilian level and he dies before ever getting to use it.

[-] darkdemize@sh.itjust.works 25 points 7 months ago

As a US taxpayer, I don't find that very amusing. Well, other than the part where Trump dies.

[-] modus@lemmy.world 7 points 7 months ago

Ooh, say that last part again.

[-] nibble4bits@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 7 months ago

It would make more sense to equip it up if they planned on keeping it as Air Force One after Trump leaves office, but they have already said they plan on keeping it with the Trump Presidential Library.. so the U.S. gov will spend all this money on a secure aircraft for a few months before it's decommissioned.. but he's just a CHAMPION of cutting wasteful spending. /s

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[-] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

don't stop, I'm almost there!

[-] disgrunty@slrpnk.net 26 points 7 months ago

A modern-day white elephant! Kind of hilarious that Trump of all people got it.

[-] NABDad@lemmy.world 25 points 7 months ago

My in-laws used to do this.

I love them, but every time they bought something new, they'd give us the old one like it wasn't something they were getting rid of. Easier to give it to us than throw it away.

The last time was a sofa and a love seat. We were stuck with the most uncomfortable furniture I've ever had in my life.

[-] glitchdx@lemmy.world 7 points 7 months ago

I've started telling people to not give me their garbage.

I've made a lot of people upset, but also I don't have to dispose of other people's garbage, so as far as I'm concerned that's a win.

[-] barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 5 points 7 months ago

Tell them to deliver it, and send them the address of the county landfill.

[-] glitchdx@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

they just show up at my house, unannounced, usually while I'm not there, and my roommates tell me "here's a gift from ms derpinshnek", and I have to say "tell her to take it back."

[-] Sir_Simon_Spamalot@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago

If you don't like it, why would you take it?

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[-] Gloomy@mander.xyz 5 points 7 months ago

The last time was a sofa and a love seat. We were stuck with the most uncomfortable furniture I've ever had in my life.

Oh no. They realy gave you an uncomfortable sofa? Bummer. At least you got a nice love seat out of it.

[-] cactusupyourbutt@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

they gave away a used love seat?

[-] LaFinlandia@sopuli.xyz 3 points 7 months ago

They needed room for a love swing.

[-] aesthelete@lemmy.world 23 points 7 months ago

🤞 there are mechanical difficulties with it

[-] yuknowhokat@lemmy.world 16 points 7 months ago

We need everybody to tell good old Donnie that he was "gifted" a plane that's the equivalent to the rusty old piece of s*** car that's been sitting in the yard for 5 years and hasn't sold.

[-] peetabix@sh.itjust.works 4 points 7 months ago

Like all those unsold Cybertrucks.

[-] Draegur@lemm.ee 14 points 7 months ago

Wow so it's not even a NEW plane but shitty high maintenance sloppy seconds.

The mandarin chief really does have a type...

[-] Nay@feddit.nl 5 points 7 months ago

Mandarin chief... I'm fucking dying, haha

[-] Witchfire@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago

On a scale from the Watergate hotel room to an American embassy in Moscow, how bugged do you think it is?

[-] And009@lemmynsfw.com 3 points 7 months ago

Hamas pager

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[-] sfled@lemm.ee 9 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I guess he finally realized that a 747 really is bigger and faster that his 757.

[-] frostysauce@lemmy.world 8 points 7 months ago

Critics, however, fear that the acceptance would be unethical and even unconstitutional.

Newsweek could retain at least a shred of journalistic integrity by changing one word there:

Critics, however, ~~fear~~ note that the acceptance would be unethical and even unconstitutional.

[-] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago

Damn sure wouldn't waste a new one on him

[-] slaneesh_is_right@lemmy.org 3 points 7 months ago

Even that would probably be a net positive. But this is so much smarter and funnier

[-] ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

So you're telling me there's a slight chance of a RUD mid-flight?

[-] yuknowhokat@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

I would settle for a snafu that ends in an unscheduled remote water landing

[-] thesohoriots@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

I’ll take a flat spin due to poor placement of a solid gold toilet with a heavy McDonald’s shit dropped in it

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[-] Gsus4@mander.xyz 5 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

lol, the thing is a cheap old crusty mooncake :D

[-] mooncake@lemm.ee 3 points 7 months ago

LOL get fucked pedo

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this post was submitted on 15 May 2025
566 points (98.8% liked)

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