Can President Trump accept a luxury plane of 400 million US dollars?

US President Donald Trump said his government wanted an aircraft worth $ 400 million (GBP 303 million) as a gift from Qatar and described it as a “big gesture” that he would be “stupid” to reject.

The potential step was described by some members of the rival democratic party as “wild illegal” – something that the White House denies – and criticized some of Trump's followers.

Qatar himself previously said that the reports about the plane were “inaccurate” and that negotiations continued.

The news comes when Trump visits several countries in the Middle East, including Qatar.

The BBC verification has investigated the legality of the presidents to accept gifts.

On Sunday, the US media reported that the Trump administration was preparing to accept a Boeing jumbo jet from the royal family.

Trump later posted social society: “The Ministry of Defense receives a gift free of charge from a 747 aircraft to temporarily replace the 40-year-old Air Force One in a very public and transparent transaction.”

When Trump was asked by reporters, he said: “It is a great gesture of Qatar. I really appreciate it. I would never be one who rejects this type of offer.”

In February, Trump said that he was “not satisfied with Boeing” about delays on two new jets that he would like to receive directly from the company. He added that the White House “could buy an airplane or get an airplane or something”.

The Qatarian plane was shown in February in Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump inspected it. It is currently equipped with three bedrooms, a private lounge and an office.

A Qatarian civil servant has announced that the aircraft is given to the Pentagon by the Qatarian Ministry of Defense and that it is changed in such a way that it fulfills the security standards of the Air Force Ones.

Experts say that this will probably take years, which means that the plane may only be used towards the end of Trump's term.

Trump said that the aircraft will go directly to his presidential library after his office was filed and that he would “not use it” after his presidency.

Nevertheless, the step to criticism from Democrats and a few long-time Trump supporters, including Laura Loomer, who said: “This will really be a stain for the administrator if this is true.”

Several high -ranking Democrats claimed that the acceptance of the gift is illegal.

The Democratic Senator Adam Schiff quoted a section of the US constitution in which it was said that no chosen civil servant could “any application … any kind of whatever” by the chairman of a foreign state without the consent of the congress.

Frank Cogliano, professor of US history and constitutional expert at the University of Edinburgh, says that this clause is “to prevent bribes to prevent the government”.

“The constitution certainly stretches and we have not yet seen a gift on this size,” says Professor Andrew Moran, constitutional expert at the London Metropolitan University.

There were a number of other laws that were passed by the congress in connection with the acceptance of foreign gifts such as the law on foreign gifts and decorations from 1966, which means that the consent of the congress for the acceptance of foreign gifts above a certain value is required.

Currently, US officials can accept gifts worth less than 480 US dollars (£ 363).

Although Trump referred to the plane, which ultimately goes to his “library”, experts have suggested that he really mean his museum foundation.

Ex -presidents usually have a library in which its archive for documents is housed, and a museum that is normally financed by private donations – full of memorabilia and open to the public.

Experts who check BBC spoke with the fact that the aircraft of the administration – and not the president – could not avoid the potential violation of the constitution before being transferred to his museum.

Jordan Libowitz – The organization, the citizens for responsibility and ethics in Washington – said that every use of the aircraft would exceed a line after leaving the office: “Reagan Air Force One ended in his presidential library, but there is a difference.

According to reports, the US Ministry of Justice has reported a memo that explains why it believes that it would accept the Jet would be permissible, although this was not published.

When the press spokeswoman of the White House, Karoline Leavitt, was asked about the legality of the deal, she said: “The legal details for this are still being worked out, but of course every donation to this government is always carried out in full with the law.”

President Trump is on a four-day trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the hope of drumming the investments for the USA.

His visit follows a series of business qualifications that were announced by the Trump organization, which is led by the president's sons, Eric and Donald Jr.

This includes plans for the construction of golf courses and luxury villas in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

President Trump is currently not connected to the Trump organization after having given his children to responsibility on January 20 after entering the White House.

A deal was announced by the Trump organization in early May to develop an 18-hole golf course with a Trump brand and a collection of luxury villas north of the capital of Katar, Doha.

At that time, Eric Trump said: “We are incredibly proud to expand the Trump brand through this extraordinary cooperation with Qatar Diar and Dar Global in Qatar.”

Dar Global is a publicly owned Saudi construction company. Qatari Diar is a state company in Qatari.

On April 30, the Trump organization announced separately that it would build “the first Trump International Hotel & Tower in the region” in the “heart of Dubai”, consisting of 80 floors of “luxury life and first-class hospitality”.

Eric Trump recently visited the VAE on May 1st at Token 2049, a cryptocurrency conference.

When asked whether Trump would probably meet someone who was involved in the family business during his trip, the Press spokesman for the White House, Karoline Leavitt, said that it was “ridiculous” to suggest that the president does something for his own advantage.