The 13-year-old plane, a Boeing 747-8, is standing at the airport in San Antonio, Texas, according to Sky News.
According to the media company, President Trump inspected the plane in question in Palm Beach, Florida in February. Since then, it has remained in the USA.
Trump has defended the gift, which has raised ethical questions about corruption and conflicts of interest. Both Democrats and Republicans have criticized the matter. But to say no would be foolish, the president claims.
I mean – I could be foolish and say: "No, we don't want a free, very valuable plane", he said on Monday.
The plane gift is expected to be formally handed over in connection with Trump's Qatar visit later in the week, and the president will likely have to answer various questions about the matter during his ongoing Middle East trip. A new plane of the current model is said to cost around 400 million dollars, equivalent to approximately 3.9 billion kronor.
According to the US Constitution, government officials are prohibited from accepting gifts "from any king, prince or foreign state". Critics warn that the gift will tarnish the image of the presidential plane Air Force One, reports Sky News – from an American symbol of power to an airborne ethical and legal concern.
