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

See more of our coverage in your search results.

WASHINGTON — President Trump took his maiden voyage on the new Air Force One Wednesday, heading to North Dakota to open the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.

The trip is part of the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations, and will feature the president boarding a special BNSF Freedom 250 Train to travel to the library site in Medora, which is surrounded by Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

A ceremonial Rough Riders Troop will accompany Trump’s motorcade, evoking the legacy of the 26th president 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 began 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.”

White House communications director Steven Cheung posted a few glimpses of the inside of the plane as the presidential party winged its way to North Dakota. Other images 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. 

“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 included several administration officials, including Interior Secretary and former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who played a critical role in the Roosevelt library’s development.

Burgum’s successor, Gov. Kelly Armstrong, will meet the president on the ground and accompany him throughout the day.

First sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are also on the trip, along with Don Jr.’s new wife, Bettina.

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.

“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.”

Officially part of the Air Force fleet, it will carry the president, his aides, the 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. 

Trump was criticized for accepting the plane as a gift. Its Qatari origins raised security questions and ethical concerns. Trump, however, argued he was 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 have 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 Teddy Roosevelt, who was in office when the nation marked its 125th birthday.

Born in New York, 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.

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 are featured 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, meaning 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.