In late July 2025, reporters from The New York Times discovered a "mysterious" transfer of $934 million that they claimed would be used to renovate the Boeing 747 plane U.S. President Donald Trump received as a gift from Qatar earlier that year.

The announcement that Qatar would be giving Donald Trump a ‘free’ Air Force One was already the subject of much controversy. Many had questions about the ethics of such a transaction, while others expressed concerns about security and the potential cost needed to upgrade such a plane to meet the needs of the US president.