[Source/Observer Network, Lin Chenli] According to the UK's The Guardian, the Boeing 747-8 aircraft gifted by the Royal Family of Qatar to US President Trump has recently arrived in the United States. On May 28 local time, Trump said that this aircraft is "too large" and unsuitable as his personal benefit.

In the media Q&A session in the Oval Office of the White House on the afternoon of the 28th, Trump tried to explain why he considered the aircraft a gift for the American nation rather than a personal benefit for himself.

"This is a beautiful, large, magnificent, free aircraft given to the US Air Force, and I am very proud of it. They tried to say, 'Oh, this is Trump's airplane.' Yes, of course. But frankly, it's just too large," Trump said.

The Boeing 747-8 aircraft gifted by Qatar to Trump is worth $400 million, an extended version of the large aircraft, about 5.5 meters longer than the old Boeing VC-25A aircraft currently used as "Air Force One."

On February 15 local time, at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, Trump visited a Boeing 747 aircraft from Qatar. Agence France-Presse.

When asked whether this aircraft will definitely become "Air Force One," Trump only mentioned that the aircraft is currently in the United States and is being modified according to military standards. He admitted that he does not know how much the modification will cost but guessed that it would be "much cheaper than building a new aircraft."

Trump also criticized the troubled American aircraft manufacturer Boeing again for delays in replacing the current aircraft used as "Air Force One." The current "Air Force One" is the military version of the Boeing 747-200B aircraft, the VC-25A, which has been in service since 1990 and is over 30 years old.

According to The Washington Post, although the US Air Force spokesperson previously stated that the United States has officially accepted the aircraft gifted by the Qatari government to be used as Trump's new special aircraft, informed officials said that the legal teams of both the United States and Qatar have yet to reach a final agreement on the transfer of the aircraft due to Qatar's request for further clarification in the terms of the transaction.

The informed official said that Qatar insisted that the transfer of the aircraft must be clearly specified in the memorandum of understanding as initiated by the Trump administration, and Qatar should not be responsible for any future transfers of ownership of the aircraft.

Informed sources said that the unfinished legal work is unlikely to disrupt this aircraft deal, but these clarifications may trigger further scrutiny of the origin of this transaction under the Trump administration.

The report pointed out that Trump initially claimed that it was Qatar that contacted him and offered this luxurious aircraft for free. Informed officials said that in fact, the Trump administration first approached Qatar in early this year to discuss acquiring the aircraft through purchase.

After the news of Qatar gifting Trump an aircraft was exposed earlier this month, it quickly sparked heated discussions in American public opinion. Public opinion questioned issues such as conflicts of interest and violations of laws, and Democrats quickly took advantage of the situation, accusing Trump of accepting bribes.

In response to criticism from all sides, during a press conference on the morning of May 12 local time, when asked about the moral controversy caused by accepting the luxury aircraft from Qatar, Trump appeared annoyed and retorted that only "idiots" would refuse such gifts.

Trump harshly criticized the relevant reports as "fake news" and defended himself by saying that the gift from Qatar was intended for the US Department of Defense and not for him personally. He insisted that he would not use this aircraft after stepping down as president. Trump emphasized that this aircraft would be retired from military use and directly transferred to the presidential library eventually established for him. Trump also said that Qatar's gift of the aircraft was a response to the protection provided by the United States.

This article is an exclusive contribution by Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7509769437268935179/

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