Treating the aircraft as safe for the commander in chief with just a few modifications is "absurd," one former senior defense official said.

The nation of Qatar offered the Trump administration a Boeing 747-8 for use as Air Force One. Trump called the plane a "gift," in a post on his social media site, Truth Social. A representative of the administration clarified that Qatar "has offered to donate a plane to the Department of Defense," not to Trump himself.

Trump said accepting a luxury 747 from Qatar is a no-brainer. But critics say the plan threatens to turn a symbol of American power into a collection of legal and counterintelligence concerns.

President Donald Trump defended Qatar gifting the U.S. a jet to use as Air Force One as the new fleet is still under construction.