Trump accepts the gift of Qatar’s Boeing 747, converted to the New Air Force One
The Pentagon revealed that President Donald Trump has officially accepted the Boeing 747 jet gift from Qatar and has been converted into Air Force One.
“The Secretary of Defense has accepted the Boeing 747 from Qatar,” Chief Spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed to Fox News. “The Department of Defense will work to ensure that appropriate safety measures and functional error requirements are considered for transporting the U.S. President’s aircraft. For additional information, we introduce you to the U.S. Air Force.”
News of the deal has raised concerns among lawmakers, both about how to transform aircraft from foreign countries to serve as the highest level of security in mobile Oval Office, and what Qatar may want from Trump in exchange for gifts.
Trump ally Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) once said the flight was a “major espionage and surveillance issue” and like Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt).
“I don’t think Qatar is a great ally. I mean, they support Hamas. So what I’m worried about is the president’s security,” R-Fla. The senator told reporters last week.
Trump responded to the criticism: “The Department of Defense is therefore getting the gift of 747 aircraft for free to replace the 40-year-old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very open and transparent deal, allowing the curved Democrats to bother them so much that they insist that we pay the highest fees for the plane,” Trump wrote. “Anyone can do this! The devil is a world-class loser!!!”
After months of price, Trump awarded Boeing a $3.9 billion fixed-price deal in 2018 to build two new jets. The jet was supposed to be delivered in 2024, but the project is five years behind the plan and has exceeded the budget at $2.5 billion.
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