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

The Trump administration has reportedly 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, with the aircraft being valued at around $200m.

The offer of the jet has set off a firestorm of bipartisan criticism of Trump, particularly following Trump’s visit to the country last week to arrange US business deals.