Last year, the Emir of Qatar gave the US President a luxurious Boeing Jumbo jet as a gift. The aircraft was valued at $400 million.
Trump decided to turn that luxury gift into his Air Force One, meaning it is the aircraft he will soon be using for official and non-official trips.
The aircraft, which was received by the US Department of Defense early last year, has been undergoing some adjustments to suit its new role. It is a large, palatial aircraft, and now it has been fitted with additional systems to meet the desired security standards.
When the news first broke that the luxurious aircraft would be converted into an Air Force One, the media spoke to some Defense experts about the additional cost. They said the necessary modifications would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and could reach a billion.
Controversy over the Gift from Qatar
Upon receiving the luxurious aircraft, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the US Department of Defense and Qatar. It spelled out the terms of the gift, indicating that it was given without conditions.
Specifically, the MOU indicated that the gift should not be misconstrued as a bribe. Instead, it should be seen as a “bona fide gift”.
However, the gift has already raised controversy, not just from members of the Democratic Party but also from Trump’s party, the Republican Party. Many critics find it unconstitutional for the president to receive such a gift, especially given that the maximum value of a gift allowed to a government official is $480.
The senator from California, Adam Schiff of the Democratic Party, referred to the Constitution and clarified that an elected official cannot accept a gift from a foreign government unless authorized by Congress. In this case, no such authorization was either sought or given.
Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer called the aircraft the “largest bribe” from another country in the history of America.
Republican Senators Susan Collins, Rand Paul, and Ted Cruz are among Republican leaders who have criticized the idea of receiving the gift, saying it reeked of impropriety.
Meanwhile, the White House has vehemently denied any wrongdoing by the President. Through White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the White House has emphasized that it always acts in accordance with the law.
On his part, President Donald Trump says it would be stupid for him to refuse the gift.