US formally accepts Qatar's luxury jet for use as Air Force One for Trump
The United States has formally accepted a luxurious Boeing 747-8 jet from Qatar as a gift which is poised to be used for the Air Force One fleet and the US Air Force has been tasked to find a way to rapidly upgrade it, in order to transport President Donald Trump, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.
The Pentagon added that US Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, accepted the plane by Qatar for use as Trump's official plane. 'The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations,' Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said.
Pentagon's Parnell further said the Defence department will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered.
The Boeing 747-8 jet will be modified as per the requirements of the Air Force One fleet, which is the official mode of transport for the US president. The White House has said that the Qatari gift is legal but the announcement last week caused a huge uproar in Washington.
The luxurious jet is a gift by Qatar's Royal family and is estimated to cost about $400 million. The White House has said that the new plane would be transferred to the presidential library at the end of his term.
President Trump justified the transfer of the jet to US, stating 'They're giving us a gift,' adding that it would be 'stupid' to turn down the plane. However, according to the US Constitution's provision of Emoluments Clause, the public officials are prohibited from accepting gifts from the foreign countries without the prior approval of Congress. The Qatari jet transfer has not received Congressional approval.
The Democrats have criticised the move by the Trump administration and have also sought to block the handover.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said 'Today marks a dark day in history: the president of the United States of America officially accepted the largest bribe from a foreign government in American history,' Reuters reported.
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