President Donald Trump was all praise for Qatar, as he and his family took the inaugural flight of the new Air Force One, a gift from the Gulf nation, on Wednesday.
His praise came amid criticism over whether accepting such a valuable gift from a foreign nation raises ethical concerns. Trump dismissed those concerns, claiming that the plane cost US taxpayers very little.
Donald Trump praised Qatar after boarding the Qatar-gifted Air Force One for his first presidential flight on the aircraft
According to PEOPLE, before riding the flight to North Dakota, Trump boasted about the plane’s merit, besides complimenting the emir of Qatar for the gift. He described Qatar “as a country that’s treated us very well” and “an ally of us over in the Middle East.”
“Frankly, we couldn’t build a plane like this because we wouldn’t be willing to spend the kind of money necessary,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. “It will be the first flight of what I think is maybe the greatest commercial plane ever built.”
His sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as Don Jr.’s new wife, Bettina Anderson, accompanied him on the flight. The flight features Trump’s preferred color palette of red, white, dark blue, and gold. There was an American flag painted on the plane’s tail as well.
The VC-25B Bridge has been created by converting a Boeing 747-8 business jet, as the permanent VC-25B fleet is delayed, according to Reuters.
Democrats and ethics experts argue that accepting a $400 million jet from the Qatari government raises constitutional and ethical concerns over foreign influence. Trump, however, claimed Qatar voluntarily wanted to contribute this to the US and dubbed their gesture “very nice.”
Qatar, ruled by a hereditary monarchy, is one of the wealthiest producers of oil and natural gas. Whether the controversy continues remains to be seen.
DO YOU THINK TRUMP WAS RIGHT IN ACCEPTING THE AIRCRAFT GIFT FROM QATAR?
