The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has accepted a gifted Boeing 747 aircraft from Qatar for President Donald Trump to use as Air Force One, the Pentagon said Wednesday. An Associated Press dispatch to The Globe says the Defence Department will "work to ensure proper security measures" on the aircraft to make it safe for use by the President, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said. He added that the plane was accepted "in accordance with all federal rules and regulations." Mr. Trump has defended the gift, which came up during his recent Middle East trip, as a way to save tax dollars. Others, however, have raised concerns about the aircraft being a violation of the Constitution's prohibition on foreign gifts. They also have noted the need to retrofit the plane to meet security requirements. Mr. Trump was asked about the move Wednesday while he was meeting in the Oval Office with South Africa's President. "They are giving the United States Air Force a jet," Mr. Trump said. The Republican President has offered no national security reasoning for a swift upgrade rather than waiting for Boeing to finish new Air Force One jets that have been in the works for years.