WASHINGTON, May 8 (Bernama-dpa) -- US President Donald Trump said a jumbo jet gifted by Qatar would be ready for use as a government aircraft by July 4, despite ongoing criticism and corruption allegations surrounding the deal, reported German news agency dpa.
Asked by a reporter on Thursday whether he expected the jet to be available by the US Independence Day celebrations marking the country's 250th anniversary, Trump replied: "Yeah."
Trump accepted the aircraft from the Gulf state in May 2025 despite sharp criticism from Democrats and ethics experts, triggering a debate over possible corruption and foreign influence.
Earlier reports estimated the value of the Boeing 747 at around US$400 million. Democrats described the gift as "blatant corruption" and threatened protests in Congress.
Trump has repeatedly defended accepting the aircraft, arguing that rejecting a "free, very expensive aeroplane" would have been "stupid" and saying the arrangement would save US taxpayers money.
Qatar has also rejected criticism of the arrangement. Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told CNN it was a "government-to-government transaction," and said he did not understand the controversy surrounding it.
--BERNAMA-dpa
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