According to a report by The New York Times on May 21st, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis accepted a Boeing aircraft worth $400 million as a gift from Qatar and instructed the Air Force to upgrade it to "Air Force One" for Trump as soon as possible. In terms of the aircraft itself, this Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar is called the "Flying Palace". With an age of 13 years, its interior was designed by a Paris-based design company, featuring two complete bathrooms, nine washrooms, one master bedroom, one guest bedroom, multiple lounges, and a private office. The leather seats on both upper and lower decks can accommodate 89 people, highlighting its luxurious nature. The Department of Defense spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that accepting this aircraft complies with all federal regulations, and the department will also strive to ensure that the aircraft meets safety and functional requirements to guarantee safe use by the President. The U.S. Air Force also indicated that they would award a contract to modify the aircraft for administrative air transport. However, this incident has sparked continuous controversy. From a legal perspective, the U.S. Constitution's "Gift Clause" clearly stipulates that government officials shall not accept gifts from "any king, prince, or foreign state." Although the White House responded that the aircraft was gifted to the Department of Defense and Qatar made no additional demands, the doubts persist. Democratic lawmakers and independent oversight agencies believe that this action violates the Constitution's Foreign Emoluments Clause. In terms of security, intelligence security experts have raised warnings. Accepting a presidential aircraft gifted by a foreign government requires the U.S. intelligence community to conduct a comprehensive inspection for potential tracking or eavesdropping devices before proceeding with complex modifications to meet the "Air Force One" standard. Moreover, Trump publicly expressed interest in this aircraft in February, which could provide ample time for other countries' intelligence agencies to study how to infiltrate the aircraft. Industry insiders estimate that the final cost of modifying this "gifted" aircraft will exceed $1 billion, even approaching the unit price of the two new aircraft that Boeing has been unable to deliver. Richard Aboulafia, managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory and aviation analyst, stated that the high safety standards required for "Air Force One" necessitate significant work. Therefore, even though the aircraft itself is luxurious, it still requires several years and substantial funds for modification to meet the current "Air Force One" standards. There are also insider reports indicating that this aircraft will be donated to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation. This means that even if Trump is no longer president, he may still continue to use the aircraft, adding more controversial points to the matter. Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832829890087944/ Disclaimer: This article represents only the views of the author.