DOD accepts Qatari jet to be refitted as Air Force One for Trump admin

The Department of Defense will accept a Boeing 747 jet as a gift from the nation of Qatar that will be refitted to become Air Force One for the Trump administration, according to the Pentagon. This comes as the president has been pushing for an upgrade of the older aircraft.

Sean Parnell, the chief spokesman for the Pentagon, told Fox News, "The Secretary of Defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations. The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the President of the United States. For additional information, we refer you to the United States Air Force."

The deal has sparked concern with lawmakers in Congress with how to refit a foreign nation's aircraft to prevent security breaches as well as what Qatar might be wanting in return for the gifted jet. The questions have been coming from both sides of the political aisle.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told reporters that accepting the jet may pose "significant espionage and surveillance problems" and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has said, "Trump cannot accept a $400 million flying palace from the royal family of Qatar. Not only is this farcically corrupt, it is blatantly unconstitutional."

Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida, like his colleagues, also voiced concerns over accepting the jet: "Qatar is not, in my opinion, a great ally. I mean, they support Hamas. So what I'm worried about is the safety of the president."

When the president was asked about the jet at the White House recently, he told the reporter, "They're giving the United States Air Force a jet, okay, and it's a great thing. You're a terrible reporter. You don't have what it takes to be a reporter."

Trump had previously made a Truth Social post over the offer following criticism, writing, "So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA."

In 2018, Boeing received a fixed-price agreement of $3.9 billion from Trump in his first term to construct two new jets that were supposed to be delivered in 2024, however, the jets are around five years behind schedule and the project has surpassed the budget by $2.5 billion.