U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has received a Boeing 747 jet from Qatar as a gift for President Donald Trump to use as Air Force One, the Pentagon said.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the agency “will be working to ensure the necessary security measures” on the plane to make it safe for presidential use.
He added that the plane was accepted “in accordance with all federal laws and regulations.”
Mr Trump justified the gift, which he considered during a recent trip to the Middle East, by arguing it would save taxpayers money.
“Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, spend hundreds of millions of dollars when they can get it for free?” Mr. Trump wrote on his social media page during the trip.
However, others expressed concerns that the plane could violate the constitutional ban on receiving foreign gifts.
They also stressed the need to upgrade the aircraft to meet safety standards, which would require significant costs and time.
World Trump defends Qatar jet prospects… Read more
Mr Trump was asked about the decision during his Oval Office meeting with the South African president on Wednesday.
“They are providing the United States Air Force with an aircraft,” Mr. Trump said.
The Republican president has made no national security case for a rapid modernization rather than waiting for the new Air Force One jets, which have taken years to develop, to be completed.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
