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.

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.

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

You’d think that no one needs a new jet less than Donald Trump, who already not only owns his own customized Boeing 757, but also as president has free use of a pair of heavily modified 747 jumbo jets that collectively make up Air Force One.