'Best plane ever built': Trump takes first flight on new Air Force One gifted by Qatar

President Donald Trump beamed with pride about the new Qatari-gifted Air Force One Wednesday before its initial voyage to North Dakota, telling reporters the U.S. "couldn't build a plane like this," and saying the country "should be very proud" of the new jet. The plane was given to the U.S. by Qatar and Trump relayed how the exchange happened. He said he asked Boeing — which is set to deliver new planes for the presidential jet in 2028 —if there were any counties that had potential substitutes in the interim. “I said, ‘Who has the best one?’ They said, ‘Qatar. There’s no, there's never been a plane like it.’ 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 dollar,” Trump said. The president said he went to Qatar and asked to use its plane for a period of time and the emir said he would instead give the plane to Trump. The president described the plane as “a gift from a country that has treated us very well." “You’re going to get a kick out of it,” Trump said to reporters about the plane. “There’s just nothing like it.”