Qatar had been trying to sell off a luxury jet for years, with no luck. Then President Trump’s team set its sights on it.

Converting it into a functioning presidential aircraft could cost over $1 billion, take at least three years, and still leave Trump grounded before the end of a second term.

Trump’s concerns about Air Force One seem less focused on safety and security and more on size and opulence. His longing for a “ palace in the sky ” is befitting for a president drawn to soaring skyscrapers, lavish parades and gold ornamentation.