The Department of Defense formally accepted a luxury plane from Qatar

Formally accepting

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The Department of Defense confirmed that it had accepted a luxury 747 jet from Qatar and asked the Air Force to quickly adapt it as a new Air Force One for President Trump.

To Trump with love

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President Trump confirmed the gift as well, after justifying the deal. “They’re giving the United States Air Force a jet, and it’s a great thing,” he said at the White House, The New York Times reported.

A $200 million deal

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ABC News first reported the deal, which sparked significant political controversy around the president of the US accepting a $200 million gift from foreign leaders, which is unconstitutional.

Accepting foreign gifts

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said any foreign gift would always be "accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump's Administration is committed to full transparency," the BBC reported.

Formally accepting, To Trump with love, A 0 million deal, Accepting foreign gifts, Legal consultations, Defense exchange, Presidential library, Personal use, Justifying it, "Anybody can do that!", Delays in new planes, Adaptations, Business deals, Unconstitutional

The White House devised a workaround to the Constitution. ABC News said its sources confirmed that lawyers for the White House counsel's office and the Department of Justice drafted an analysis for the Department of Defense.

Defense exchange

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According to the outlet, the plan was for the Qatari Ministry of Defense to transfer the airplane to the Department of Defense, which will donate it to the Trump Presidential Library.

Presidential library

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ABC News reported that General Attorney Pam Bondi suggested the plan. Now, the Department of Defense has confirmed the plan by formally accepting the plane.

Personal use

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According to Forbes, keeping the plane in that condition would allow President Trump to use it personally after his presidency ends, raising even more ethical questions about the gift.

Justifying it

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Still, the president justified the action on social media, AP News said. Trump posted, "The Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE," he said, "in a very public and transparent transaction."

"Anybody can do that!"

Formally accepting, To Trump with love, A 0 million deal, Accepting foreign gifts, Legal consultations, Defense exchange, Presidential library, Personal use, Justifying it, "Anybody can do that!", Delays in new planes, Adaptations, Business deals, Unconstitutional

He complained about Democrats signaling the ethical issues with the gift. "They insist we pay TOP DOLLAR for the plane. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!!," he said.

Delays in new planes

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Boeing landed a contract to build new airplanes to replace the decades-old Air Force One jets the presidents currently use, but construction hit delays, and Trump's White House justifies temporarily using the gift.

Adaptations

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However, a Defense official told The New York Times that adapting the gifted jet to the Air Force's security standards would also take time. "We are talking years," they said.

Business deals

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Another angle of questioning has been Mr. Trump's family business interests in Qatar. According to AP News, his sons recently signed a contract to build a luxury golf resort in the country.

Unconstitutional

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The attacks came from across the board. Democrat lawmakers accused the president of doing something unconstitutional. Legally, Congress has to approve gifts from foreign states.

Bribery

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Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer poked fun at the president in a statement collected by AP News. "Nothing says 'America First' like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar," he said. "It's not just bribery, it's premium foreign influence with extra legroom."

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