Trump hails Air Force One ‘gift’

Donald Trump on Sunday defended plans to receive a new Air Force One as a gift, after reports he will accept a luxury Boeing jet from Qatar despite strict rules on presents for US presidents.

Calling the plane a "flying palace," ABC News, which first reported the story, said the Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet gifted from the Qatari royal family would possibly be the most expensive gift ever received by the American government.

The controversy around the jet -- and Trump's boast that it was coming "free of charge" -- builds on questions the US leader is facing over potential conflicts of interest with his family businesses and use of public office.

In a social media post late Sunday that made no mention of Qatar, Trump went on the offensive to claim the plane was a temporary "gift" that would go to the Defence Department, and would replace an existing four-decade-old model. Trump said the process was unfolding as a "transparent transaction" but did not specify whether any party was receiving something in return.