https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq855lx87z3oUS accepts Qatari plane into Air Force One fleet
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Trump toured the plane in Palm Beach back in February
Mike Wendling
BBC News
The US has accepted a plane intended for the Air Force One fleet from Qatar, a gift that has sparked criticism including from some of President Trump's biggest supporters.
"The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations," Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement on Wednesday. The plane will need to be modified before it can be used as part of Air Force One - the president's official mode of air transport. The White House insists that the gift is legal, but the announcement of the transfer a week ago caused huge controversy. The plane is a gift from the Qatari royal family and is estimated to be worth $400m (£300m). The White House says that the new plane will be transferred to Trump's presidential library at the end of his term.