The jet, which the Trump Administration formally accepted last May, is one of the most valuable gifts ever received by the U.S. government. Trump has said that the plane will be used as the new Air Force One for the duration of his presidency, after which it will be transferred to his future presidential library.
The President embraced the gift, calling it a “great gesture.”
“I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer,” Trump said days before the Pentagon announced its acceptance of the jet. “I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’”
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani similarly brushed off the controversy surrounding the gift at the time, calling it a “very simple government-to-government dealing.”
Legal experts previously told TIME, however, that the gift was far simple. The Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause restricts federal officials from accepting gifts or payments from foreign states without Congress’ approval.
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