Video Shows Trump’s Oval Office Filled With Model Jets — Including Qatar’s Donated Air Force One

A new video tour posted by White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino reveals President Donald Trump has placed numerous scale model aircraft throughout the Oval Office, from military fighters to a replica of the jet donated by Qatar as a temporary Air Force One.

Models on Display

The clip shows the president standing beside multiple models, including what appear to be a Blue Angels jet, an F-35, and a large replica of the ex-Qatari aircraft now serving as a presidential transport. The collection also seems to include a model of a Boom passenger jet — a prototype from the U.S. company developing next-generation supersonic airliners.

President Trump hopes to transfer the new Air Force One to his presidential library after leaving office (AFP/Getty)

Background And Controversy

Trump has long been associated with an affinity for aircraft, famously flying in a custom Boeing 757 as a businessman and briefly operating the Trump Shuttle. That interest has continued in the presidency, and it has produced controversy. Trump accepted a donated jet from Qatar to be used while the military develops an official Air Force One replacement. He has suggested the gifted jet could become part of his presidential library in Miami after he leaves office.

Democrats have unsuccessfully sought to block Pentagon funding to retrofit the donated jet. The aircraft is in presidential service but will undergo additional upgrades, the White House says, with spokesman Karoline Leavitt saying the work will take about a month this fall. On a recent trip home from a NATO summit, Trump swapped back to the older Air Force One for part of the return flight, sparking questions about whether the donated jet fully met operational or security expectations.

The Trump administration has made a point of praising military pilots accused of unsafe maneuvers, including a recent beach flyby from a member of the Blue Angels demonstration team (Partridge Drones/Facebook)

"The new Air Force One is perfectly safe for the President's travels, but will receive additional upgrades and enhancements in the fall which will take approximately one month to complete. During that time, the President will fly on the old Air Force One." — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt

Defense Pilots And Public Reaction

The administration has also been outspoken in defending military aviators who faced criticism for risky maneuvers. Senior officials publicly praised or downplayed incidents such as a recent Blue Angels flyby that some Navy officials described as unsafe because it came close to beachgoers in Pensacola, Florida.

Responses from military and civilian leadership varied: Navy Capt. Adam Bryan, commander of the Blue Angels, called the situation "unsafe," while Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao posted on social media: "Flight debrief complete. No reprimands. No firings. No problem. That's the sound of Freedom!" A Pentagon spokesperson shared images captioned "Carry on Patriots," and the White House released a stylized image with the slogan "It's OK to love America."

Earlier this summer the Pentagon reversed the suspension of eight South Carolina National Guard helicopter pilots who performed a low sweep above a crowded beach during Fourth of July events. In March, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lifted suspensions of pilots who executed a low-altitude flyby over the Tennessee home of musician Kid Rock, a well-known Trump supporter.

Taken together, the Oval Office display and the administration's public defense of controversial flight maneuvers underscore how aviation — both symbolic and operational — remains a visible theme for this White House.