President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that a $200 billion deal between Qatar Airways and Boeing is a lifeline for the tortured American aerospace giant and a powerful symbol of diplomatic maneuvering to define the presidency.
The deal signed in Doha during Trump's Middle East Tour, including the purchase of 160 Boeing jets by state-owned Katari Airlines.
"It's over $200 billion, but $160 in terms of jets. That's awesome," Trump said at the signing ceremony.
The deal marks a rare highlight of Boeing, whose fate is free to fall. Last year, the manufacturer's orders plummeted 60% amid a series of setbacks, including a catastrophic incident involving the Alaska Airlines 737 Max, and a strike by large mechanics that stopped production for nearly three months. A fragile recovery has begun by the end of the year, but Trump's trade war threatens to weaken any gains as tariffs could increase the cost of the U.S. jet fleet abroad.
For Trump, the Doha signature is not only a boost to US manufacturing. It also highlights his personal fascination with aviation, a field in which his role as businessman, president and selfish people intersect seamlessly. The president has long marked his Boeing 757 as "Trump Force One" and is now considering his more influential air symbol: the luxury jets offered by Qatar are one-man as a makeshift air force.
Trump posted on Truth Social: "Why should our military and our taxpayers be forced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars when they can get this money for free from a country that wants to reward us for work that rewards us for good work." The president described the proposal as a gesture of goodwill in Qatar, but critics see it as another example of foreign influence infiltration into U.S. governance.
Security experts warn that Qatari aircraft will need extensive modifications to meet U.S. military standards, including countermeasures against nuclear and missile threats.
Intelligence officials warn that the inherent risks of renovating foreign-owned jets involves breaking down the aircraft’s luxury interiors to inspect spy equipment. NBC News reports that the process could cost more than $1 billion and will take years to complete.
Democrats in Congress also proposed the ghost of the Constitution's Emer's clause, which prohibits federal officials from accepting gifts from foreign governments without Congress' approval.
The Katar-Boeing deal is the latest in a series of high-profile aviation agreements signed during Trump’s four-day visit to the Middle East. Just one day after Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund reached a $4.8 billion deal with Boeing, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick received a $10 billion order from a British airline, part of a broader push by the government to boost U.S. exports.