2 weeks ago
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The Trump medication has officially accepted a luxury pitchy that volition beryllium utilized arsenic Air Force One arsenic a acquisition from Qatar, the Pentagon said.
US defence caput Pete Hegseth accepted the $400m Boeing 747 and has tasked his section with moving to upgrade the level to marque it harmless for usage by the president.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the level - dubbed a "palace-in-the-sky" - was accepted "in accordance with each national rules and regulations".
Mr Trump has faced scrutiny implicit the jet, with critics questioning whether receiving the craft from the Qatari royal household violates law laws connected gifts from overseas governments.
The US president has rubbished concerns, telling reporters past week: "I deliberation it's a large motion from Qatar.
"I admit it precise much. I would ne'er beryllium 1 to crook down that benignant of an offer.
"I mean, I could beryllium a anserine idiosyncratic saying: 'No, we don't privation a free, precise costly airplane'."
The acquisition came up during Mr Trump's caller travel to the Middle East.
During the tour, helium posted connected his Truth Social platform: "Why should our military, and truthful our taxpayers, beryllium forced to wage hundreds of millions of Dollars erstwhile they tin get it for FREE."
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While the level itself has been gifted, refitting the craft to conscionable information requirements could beryllium costly - with Sky News' US spouse NBC reporting the measure could beryllium arsenic precocious arsenic $1bn.
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In a bid to quiescent immoderate opposition, Mr Trump has said helium volition not support the level aft his word finishes, alternatively donating it to a aboriginal statesmanlike library.
However, that has done small to quell choler - which has adjacent travel from wrong the Republican party.
Senator Josh Hawley antecedently said: "My presumption is that it would beryllium amended if Air Force One were a big, beauteous pitchy made successful the United States of America. That would beryllium ideal."
Boeing has been moving to decorativeness caller Air Force One jets for years, and the president has antecedently complained astir the delays. But the Trump medication has presented nary nationalist information imperative for a swift upgrade, alternatively than waiting for those to beryllium ready.
English (US) ·