Trump takes new Qatari jet for test flight to celebrate America 250 — and another president

WASHINGTON – President Trump will take his new Air Force One for its first flight on Wednesday when he heads to North Dakota to open the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.

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The trip is part of the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations. The president will also take a train ride, boarding the BNSF Freedom 250 Train as part of the journey to the library site.

A ceremonial Rough Riders Troop will accompany the presidential motorcade to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. The group on horseback will evoke the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt and the volunteer cavalry regiment that helped define his public image, a White House official told The Post.

The day of planes, trains and automobiles begins with the presidential aircraft, a brand new addition to the Air Force fleet that ferries government officials on their travels.

The president formally introduced the 747 jet — a gift from Qatar — last week, showing off its sleek red, white, blue and gold design. He described it as a “flying White House at a level of luxury that nobody’s ever seen before.”

“President Trump will make history twice in one day: boarding the new Air Force One for its maiden flight and traveling to the great State of North Dakota to dedicate the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library,” White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told The Post.

“No modern president understands what it means to be the ‘man in the arena’ better than President Donald Trump, and he will deliver a fitting tribute to President Theodore Roosevelt, one of the greatest leaders in American history, as we celebrate our country’s proud 250th anniversary,” she added.

Wednesday’s trip will feature several administration officials on board to mark the historic occasion, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who, as governor of North Dakota, played a critical role in the Roosevelt library’s development.

State Gov. Kelly Armstrong will meet the president on the ground and accompany him throughout the day.

The atmosphere is expected to be festive. The president has prioritized getting a new plane to serve as the presidential aircraft, and he handpicked its new color scheme, which replaces the baby blue and white chosen by Jackie Kennedy.

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“We liked the baby blue, but it was time for a change,” Trump noted on Friday. “This is the sleekest line. Everything was designed good. It was my taste.”

Photos of the inside, posted online by White House staff, show a soft interior with shades of beige, cream and tan. The plane features a private office for the president and a conference room for staff use. 

Officially part of the Air Force fleet, it will carry the president, his aides, Secret Service and members of the media. It only bears the call sign “Air Force One” when Trump is on board.

The plane, valued at $400 million, will serve as a “bridge” aircraft, to be used between the older Boeing 747s, which have been in use for more than 20 years.

Maintenance has been an issue on the aging fleet. When Trump was flying to Davos, Switzerland, in January, he had to turn around a few hours into the trip due to issues with the plane and switched to a smaller Air Force plane.

Two new Boeing 747s are being built but have run over schedule and over budget. Originally set to be ready for use in December 2024, that timeline has been pushed back to mid-2028. 

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Trump was criticized for accepting the plane as a gift. Its Qatari origins raised security questions and ethical concerns. Trump, however, argued he was a getting a “free” plane, although the Air Force had to refit the plane and give it security upgrades. The cost has not been disclosed but some estimated it could be $1 billion. 

A senior administration official told The Post “no shortcuts were taken” and the new plane meets all the requirements necessary for transporting the president.

“We coordinated closely with appropriate government entities to ensure all functional mission requirements were strictly met for transporting the President,” the official noted. “As part of the interior modification process, we were able to do a thorough countersurveillance inspection.”

“This plane went through the same safety protocols that every Air Force One has gone through in accordance with FAA standards, and it is an FAA certified aircraft,” the official added.

The president plans to get plenty of use out of his new plane.

He’ll be back on board Friday to travel to South Dakota for a fireworks display at Mount Rushmore. On Saturday, July 4, the plane will fly over the White House and Capitol to mark Independence Day.

The new Air Force One will be used on Trump’s next foreign trip — when he flies to Turkey next week for the NATO summit. Trump noted he will also take it when he goes to China in November for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

But Wednesday’s focus will be on the 26th president of the United States — Teddy Roosevelt, who was in office when the nation marked its 125th birthday.

Trump will cut the ribbon at the opening of the Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, where much of the surrounding area is home to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Roosevelt spent time as a rancher in the North Dakota Badlands after the deaths of his wife and mother in 1884. He later credited those years with helping prepare him for the presidency.

That is why his library was established in North Dakota, instead of New York, where Roosevelt was born.

Known for his conservation efforts, Roosevelt placed roughly 230 million acres of land under federal protection, creating national forests, wildlife refuges, national monuments and parks.

All living presidents were invited to Wednesday’s ceremony, but only Trump will attend, a spokesperson for the library told The Post. 

But all the living presidents took part in the “In the Arena” gallery, where they recite the famous portion from Theodore Roosevelt’s speech “Citizenship in a Republic,” which starts with: “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.”

The library used AI and modern technology in its exhibits. Trump may meet a virtual Roosevelt during Wednesday’s tour.

“It’s going to be amazing,” Burgum told “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday morning.

“The parallels between Theodore Roosevelt and President Trump just keep adding up and up and up,” he added. “TR was the president at the 125th, President Trump at the 250th — both of them transformative people who really shaped not just the US, but the world and the world order.”

The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library formally opens to the public on July 4.

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