Plane offer set off a firestorm of bipartisan criticism of Trump and raised questions about Qatar’s motives

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The Trump administration has accepted the controversial gift of a Boeing 747 jetliner from the government of Qatar, and directed the air force to assess how quickly the plane can be upgraded for possible use as a new Air Force One.

A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed the gift to the New York Times and the Associated Press, with the aircraft being valued at around $200m.