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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Joseph Gedeon in Washington

Trump acknowledges that jet from Qatar lacks defensive systems of Air Force One

a man walks down a staircase from a plane
Donald Trump exits the new Air Force One in Belle Fourche-Cheyenne Valleys, South Dakota, on 3 July 2026. Photograph: Kylie Cooper/Reuters

Donald Trump acknowledged on Sunday that the Boeing jet given to him by Qatar cannot match the defensive armor of a true presidential aircraft, telling reporters it will soon be grounded and “maxed out” with the protections it was never built with.

The admission came as Trump touched down in Washington on the jet, fresh off a trip to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he handed the World Cup trophy to Spain alongside Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, after the tournament’s climactic final.

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