Pentagon formally accepts Qatar’s luxury megajet for Trump: What to know

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon on Wednesday said that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had formally accepted Qatar's offer of a Boeing 747, which President Trump has said he wants to use as the next Air Force One.

"The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations," Hegseth's top aide and chief Pentagon spokesperson, Sean Parnell, said in a statement. 

Parnell added that the US Defense Department "will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the President of the United States."

Why it matters: The planned transfer of the jet has set off alarm bells among Democratic lawmakers who have slammed the ethics surrounding Trump's stated intent to accept the aircraft, which is owned by the Qatari royal family and is not expected to be paid for by US tax dollars. 

Lawmakers have also questioned how the jumbo jet can be adequately retrofitted to serve as the Air Force One, which requires a complex array of classified defensive measures and high-end communication capabilities through which the president can speak securely with national security officials and top generals around the world in real time.

Experts have also raised serious concerns about the potential for espionage and security gaps in the retrofitting of the passenger plane.

US law generally prohibits elected government officials from accepting gifts from foreign leaders in excess of $480. The Emoluments Clause of the US Constitution also requires the consent of Congress for any federal official to accept gifts or titles from foreign heads of state. 

What they're saying: Prominent Democrats are dialing up their scrutiny of the Trump administration's dealings with Qatar and other Gulf states after the president's diplomatic tour of the region last week.

A group of progressive-leaning Democrats in the Senate last week raised a measure to block $1.9 billion in outstanding arms sales to Qatar — including eight MQ-9B drones and Hellfire missiles — in response to Trump's stated intent to accept the plane.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy and others last week also raised resolutions to block $1.6 in recent planned arms sales to the United Arab Emirates, citing recent Emirati investment in a $2 billion cryptocurrency firm overseen by two of Trump's sons.

Background: The US Air Force contracted Boeing for two new 747s to replace the current Air Force One aircraft during in 2018 during Trump's first term, but the process has delays, reportedly frustrating the president.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also serving as Trump's national security adviser, defended plans to receive the Qatari-owned plane during a hearing on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday.

"This is a plane that was identified after talking to Boeing about what other planes around the world would fit the bill — that are out there, that could be used now," Rubio said, echoing a report published by CNN on Monday.

"They identified the ones the Qataris had as an opportunity for one, and the ones the UAE had as an opportunity for one," he added. Trump had previously characterized the proposal as a "gift" offered personally to him by Qatari leaders.

Two top US Air Force officials told lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that Hegseth had ordered the service to set in motion plans to retrofit the aircraft.

During the hearing, Secretary of the US Air Force Troy Meink said the service was currently looking into the “significant modifications” needed to convert the plane.

A spokesperson for the US Air Force has confirmed the service is preparing a contract to do so, but said details of the contract remain classified.

The Pentagon’s formal acceptance of the aircraft was first reported by the New York Times.