WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accepted a gifted for President Donald Trump to use as Air Force One, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
The Defense Department will 鈥渨ork to ensure proper security measures鈥� on the aircraft to make it safe for use by the president, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said. He added that the plane was accepted 鈥渋n accordance with all federal rules and regulations.鈥�
, which came up during his recent Middle East trip, as a way to save tax dollars.
鈥淲hy should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE,鈥� Trump during the trip.
Others, however, have raised concerns about the aircraft being a violation of the Constitution鈥檚 prohibition on foreign gifts. They also have noted the need to retrofit the plane to meet security requirements, which would be costly and take time.
Trump was asked about the move Wednesday while he was meeting in the Oval Office with South Africa鈥檚 president. 鈥淭hey are giving the United States Air Force a jet,鈥� Trump said.
The Republican president has presented no national security imperative for a swift upgrade rather than waiting for Boeing to finish new Air Force One jets that have been in the works for years.
Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press
