Trump Defends Accepting Qatar’s Gifted Jet

President Donald Trump showcased the former Qatari royal family’s 747, now painted in his chosen Air Force One colors, at a rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, and defended accepting it as a gift. He said he initially asked to borrow the aircraft and dismissed critics who have questioned the arrangement. The $400 million jet has drawn bipartisan criticism over the ethics of accepting it and concerns that it lacks basic self-defense capabilities needed for Air Force One. Trump has said he plans to give the plane to his presidential library after his term. The Arizona stop was part of a Western campaign swing to rally Republicans ahead of November’s congressional elections.