Republican says Biden started controversial negotiations for backup Air Force One

Sen Markwayne Mullin R-Okla lately claimed that widely-criticized negotiations with Qatar over a million Air Force One temporary replacement gift began under the Biden administration not after President Donald Trump took office What no one is talking about is that this same has been in negotiations for a year Mullin noted on CNN Wednesday The Biden administration is the one that started these conversations It didn't start underneath the Trump administration why Because we need a back-up for Air Force One Mullin mentioned there is no current backup plane for Air Force One which is about years old A modern backup was retired from provision due to structural issues the senator disclosed HOUSE DEMOCRAT CALLS FOR 'IMMEDIATE' ETHICS PROBE OF QATARI PLANE GIFT TO TRUMP The fact is this conversation started with Qatar with Biden a year ago he announced Mullin had been privy to a up-to-date conversation with the Qataris when the information about the Biden administration's revealed role was gleaned according to a spokesperson Mullin revealed he would give the media a pass for not knowing about the stated Biden-era negotiations with the Doha cabinet Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani dismissed the debate in an interview with Fox News Special Analysis noting that his country had originally purchased the plane from an American company Boeing I don't see a point out of this debate al-Thani commented adding it is a really unfair accusation that Qatar is trying to buy influence For his part Trump has pushed back on declares of corrupt intent in potentially accepting the gift from Doha on behalf of the U S He rejected accusations from Democrats like Rep Ritchie Torres of New York who complained to the Regime Accountability office that the deal is a flying grift and violates the Constitution s Emoluments Clause prohibiting community officers from accepting presents or titles from royalty or foreign governments TRUMP TEASES 'VERY VERY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT' AHEAD OF MIDDLE EAST TRIP CARNEY SAYS HE'S 'ON EDGE OF MY SEAT' The Boeing is being given to the United States Air Force Department of Defense NOT TO ME Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform It is a gift from a nation Qatar that we have successfully defended for countless years It will be used by our executive as a temporary Air Force One until such time as our new Boeings which are very late on delivery arrive Trump also explained it would be foolish not to acknowledge the U S cost savings in the interim Trump reported the plane would be given to the Pentagon not himself while Mullin and other defenders argued there was no such kerfuffle when the U S accepted the Statue of Liberty as a gift from the French regime in the s In the Mullin interview CNN host Jake Tapper announced Congress had authorized that particular gift After the Sept terror attacks Russian President Vladimir Putin also gave the U S a large teardrop-shaped sculpture memorializing the murdered Americans CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPIt now sits at the Cape Liberty cruise port in New Jersey in sight of Ground Zero but Putin s name was scrubbed from it by Bayonne executives after he invaded Ukraine Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for Biden for comment