Trump's Jet From Qatar Is Now in US Hands

In what the Guardian terms a "chaotic" meeting Wednesday between President Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Ramaphosa at one point said, "I'm sorry I don't have a plane to give you." Trump doesn't need it. The Defense Department on Wednesday confirmed receipt of a Boeing 747 that had been gifted by Qatar to be converted into a new Air Force One. From a Pentagon rep, per the New York Times:

• "The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations. The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States."

But receipt of the 13-year-old aircraft, which CNBC values at $400 million, is just step one. It will now require extensive modifications in order to significantly upgrade its security; the Times mentions measures "such as missile defense systems or even systems to protect the plane from the electromagnetic effects of a nuclear blast." Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Tuesday cautioned that it's a major undertaking that can't be rushed. "If President Trump insists on converting this plane to a hardened Air Force One before 2029, I worry about the pressures [the Air Force] may be under to cut corners on operational security," she said. The Pentagon has yet to provide a timetable. (More Air Force One stories.)