Trump says new Air Force One will be sent to get ‘maxed out’ for upgrades

Politics NewsTrump says new Air Force One will be sent to get ‘maxed out’ for upgradesThe news comes amid questions over the security features of the luxury jet gifted by Qatar, following the president’s decision to fly back from a NATO summit in a different presidential aircraft.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00President Donald Trump walks off Air Force One at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on Friday.Andrew Harnik / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 20, 2026, 4:57 AM EDTBy Adela SulimanPresident Donald Trump said the new Air Force One plane that was gifted by Qatar will be sent away for upgrades, amid swirling concerns about its security features. Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.As he returned from a trip to the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday, Trump was asked by reporters whether the plane lacked missile-defense capabilities.“It has a lot of capability,” Trump said of the jet, which he started using this month. “But as I understand it, in about a month ​or so, they’re gonna send it to have it be maxed out... It’ll take about ​a month,” Trump added. He did not detail the nature of the works.Trump’s decision to fly back from a NATO summit in Turkey in a different presidential aircraft made headlines earlier this month. The decision to ditch the Qatari-donated jet set off speculation about why the administration made the switch and the readiness of the new Air Force One. Add NBC News to GoogleQuestions swirl after Air Force One departs Turkey without Trump01:18Speaking to the media at the time, Trump denied security concerns were involved. But he said, “You know the life of a president is very dangerous,” and he added later: “I’m No. 1 on the kill list for Iran.”NBC News reported that the Secret Service urged Trump to take the old plane home from Turkey because he was departing from a location near the Middle East and the U.S. had just...