00:00Donald Trump has defended a plan for the U.S. to accept a $400 million jumbo jet from Qatar free of charge after Democrats criticized the move as corruption in plain sight.
00:24In a Sunday social media post, the U.S. president said the Department of Defense would receive a Boeing 747-8 from the Gulf State to replace the 40-year-old Air Force One.
00:36Several years have passed since Boeing began manufacturing a replacement plane in the United States.
00:42Trump, who is due to visit Qatar this week, said the plane would be a temporary solution.
00:48News reports on Sunday suggested the aircraft would remain in the U.S. and be donated to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation once the president leaves office,
00:57as well as being a potential violation of the Emoluments Clause in the U.S. Constitution.
01:02Such a gift would probably be the largest by a foreign state or entity to a U.S. president in recent history.
01:08Trump called the move a very public and transparent transaction and accused the Democrats of wanting to pay top dollar for the plane.
01:15Anybody can do that.
01:18ABC News originally reported on the proposed gift.
01:22Qatar confirmed that the possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration,
01:29despite calling the report inaccurate.
01:32Ali Al-Ansari, media attache at Qatar's Washington Embassy, said,
01:37The matter remains under review by the respective legal departments and no decision has been made.
01:41The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
01:46Reports of the proposed gift from Qatar provoked criticism, even from some of Trump's most loyal supporters.
01:52Influencer Laura Loomer suggested that the transaction would be such a stain on the administration if this is true,
01:57and describe it as a $400 million gift from jihadists in suits.
02:02Thank you very much, sir.
