The Pentagon says it will " influence to ensure proper security measures " on the aircraft .
WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accept a luxuryBoeing 747 aircraft from Qatarfor President Donald Trump to apply as Air Force One , the Pentagon said Wednesday , despite ongoing questions about the ethics and legality of lease the expensive gift from a foreign state .
The Defense Department will “ knead to see to it proper surety measures ” on the aircraft to make it secure for use by the President of the United States , Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said . He supply that the plane was accepted “ in accordance with all Union rules and regulation . ”
cornet has defended the giving , which came up during his recent Middle East trip , as a elbow room to save tax dollars .
“ Why should our military , and therefore our taxpayers , be forced to pay hundreds of zillion of dollar when they can get it for FREE , ” Trumpposted on his social media siteduring the trip-up .
Others , however , have said Trump ’s acceptance of an aircraft that has been called a “ palace in the sky ” is a violation of the Constitution ’s inhibition on foreign gifts . Democrats have been united in outrage , and even some of the Republican president ’s GOP allies in Congress have express concerns .
They also have noted the need to retrofit the carpenter’s plane to meet surety requirements , which would be costly and take clip .
“ Far from saving money , this unconstitutional activeness will not only cost our nation its self-respect , but it will push taxpayer to ravage over 1 billion in taxpayer dollar to overtake this particular aircraft when we presently have not one , but two amply in operation and fully adequate to Air Force One aircraft , ” say Sen. Tammy Duckworth , D - Ill.
She said during a auditory modality Tuesday that it is a “ grave course of action ” for the U.S. to accept the aircraft from the Katari rule sept .
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told senators that Hegseth has order the service to lead off planning how to update it to fulfil demand standards and acknowledged that the plane will require “ significant ” modification .
The Air Force , in a program line , say it is preparing to grant a contract to modify a Boeing 747 aircraft , but that any details are classify .
Trump was asked about the move Wednesday while he was fulfil in the Oval Office with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa . “ They are reach the United States Air Force a jet , ” Trump said , bristle at being questioned about the gift by a reporter .
Trump said it was ease up “ not to me , to the United States Air Force , so they could facilitate us out ” and observe that “ Boeing ’s a little number latterly , regrettably . ”
Ramaphosa , who was sitting next to Trump in the Oval Office and has been working to repair his relationship with the chairwoman , said , “ I ’m sorry I do n’t have a plane to give you . ”
“ If your country was offer the United States Air Force a woodworking plane , I would take it , ” Trump enunciate .
trump card has presented no internal security imperative form for a swift acclivity rather than waiting for Boeing to finish new Air Force One jets that have been in the work for years .
He has tried to pack down some of the enemy by saying he would n’t flee around in the aircraft when his term ends . rather , he said , the plane would be donated to a future presidential subroutine library , similar to how the Boeing 707 used by President Ronald Reagan was decommissioned and put on display as a museum spell .
Associated Press writers Tara Copp and Michelle L. Price put up to this report .
This clause in the beginning appeared inHuffPost .
