The Qatari aircraft that is potentially set to become President Donald Trump's Air Force One is owned by Qatari royal and former prime minister Hamad bin Jassim al Thani (HBJ), who is associated with the bribery case involving former senator Bob Menendez.
HBJ is known to operate jets with tail numbers P4-HBJ and A7-HJJ. The former is the aircraft that is expected to be transferred to Trump, as seen in photographs taken during Trump's tour of the jet in February. According to The Washington Free Beacon, both P4-HBJ and A7-HJJ have been identified as HBJs planes through a review of flight details and the former Qatari prime ministers social media posts. Over a span of several years, HBJ and one of the two planes are consistently in the same location.
The Free Beacon's review of flight records and public documents suggests a close connection between HBJ and the Menendez corruption scandal. When prosecutors revealed a Menendez indictment in March 2024, they highlighted that the former senator had accepted gifts from a "Qatari Investment Company." The New York Times identified this company as Heritage Advisors, a firm established by a member of the Qatari royal family, Sheikh Sultan bin Jassim al Thani, who a source familiar with the matter identified as an HBJ confidant and business partner.
The indictment states that Menendez accepted these gifts in return for facilitating a multimillion-dollar Heritage Advisors investment in a New Jersey real estate project. After a 2021 trip to Qatar, Menendez even searched online for "how much is one kilo of gold worth."
Among the gifts that Heritage Advisors presented to Menendez and his wife were "four tickets for the 2023 Formula One Grand Prix race held in Miami" on May 7, 2023. Flight records reviewed by the Free Beacon indicate that one of HBJs jets was in Miami at the same time. The plane with tail numbers A7-HJJ arrived in Miami on May 4 and left on May 7 after the race concluded.
Social media posts and flight tracking information reveal HBJs use of P4-HBJ, the plane being offered to President Trump. This plane journeyed from Doha to Marrakesh on April 11, 2024, and from Marrakesh to Paris on May 5, 2024. HBJ posted a photo on Instagram in Marrakesh on April 24 and another photo in Paris on May 10.
According to an Instagram post, HBJ attended his sons graduation in London on August 1, 2024. P4-HBJ traveled from New York to London on July 29 and from London to Nice on the night of August 1.
Currently, P4-HBJ is registered with charter company Global Jet Isle of Man. An official with the company informed the New York Times that he "could not disclose the current owner, but that it is privately owned and not available for charters."
The same methods reveal HBJs use of A7-HJJ, the plane that landed in Miami ahead of the Menendez-linked Formula One Grand Prix. HBJ posted a photo on Instagram on December 7, 2024, at a wedding in Doha. Flight records show A7-HJJ arriving in Doha on December 5 and departing for Paris on December 7. HBJ also shared a photo of Ramadan celebrations in Doha on March 10, 2025. A7-HJJ arrived in Doha on March 7 and left for Cairo on March 23, flight records indicate.
Despite Trumps willingness to accept a plane from HBJ, he has previously contemplated taking action against the former prime minister. As reported by the Free Beacon in March, the Trump administration has considered sanctioning HBJ, among other members of the Qatari royal family, due to the Gulf states involvement in pro-Hamas protests on American soil.
During HBJs tenure as prime minister, the Gulf state began hosting Hamas leaders, supported Salafi jihadist movements during the Arab Spring, and allegedly funneled $15 million to terrorist groups in North Africa.
In 2012, at the end of HBJs tenure as Qatars government headand while HBJ managed the countrys sovereign wealth fundthe countrys emir pledged $400 million in support to Hamas.
Jonathan Schanzer, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told the Free Beacon that HBJ used his position as prime minister to become one of the world's most prolific backers of terrorism.
"HBJ was a straight-up terrorist financier and a war criminal," Schanzer said. "If the wings on this plane had ears, they would have endless anecdotes to share about the Qatari support for Hamas, al Qaeda, the Taliban, Islamic State, Muslim Brotherhood, and more. President Trump may not be aware of the history of this plane. But the entire region knows what the Qataris were up to when HBJ held office."
The White House did not respond to a Free Beacon request for comment.
HBJ is also involved in a RICO case in which a hotelier who did business with the family has claimed that HBJ and other Qatari royals engaged in a multi-year fraud against him. A complaint against the family alleges that HBJ used Quintet Private Bank to steal money from the Qatari government, hide illicit activities, and con former business partners.
"Between 2013 and 2017, at least a dozen transactions involving accounts opened in Quintets books were flagged as suspicious by United States authorities under anti-money laundering rules and on the basis of suspicious activity reports filed by United States banks through which the transactions were processed," the complaint reads.
HBJ and his immediate family have a reputation for graft within Qatar. In a leaked audio recording, former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak asserted that HBJ is known within the royal family as the "Thief of Doha," owing to his penchant for stealing from public sources.
HBJ also presided over Qatars bid for the 2022 World Cup, which the Department of Justice has since found included bribes for FIFA officials to secure the right to host the tournament. During stadium constructionrun by an Al Thani family companymigrants faced discrimination, wage theft, and dangerous working conditions described as "forced labor." A reported 6,500 migrant workers died during stadium construction ahead of the World Cup.
Charles Asher Small, executive director of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, told the Free Beacon that Qatar presents a legitimate national security threat.
"It is vital that the United States remain clear-eyed about the nature of the Qatari regime and the existential threat it poses to the values, institutions, and security of the democratic world," he said. "Qatar is not merely a neutral allyit is one of the foremost political and financial sponsors of terrorism on the planet, openly backing organizations like Hamas and al Qaeda responsible for the slaughter of civilians, including Americans."
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