President Donald Trump was not having it when an ABC News reporter kept pressing him Monday on his administration’s willingness to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar to use in place of a current aging Air Force One in the presidential fleet.
“You’re ABC Fake News right?” Trump eventually asked ABC News White House correspondent Rachel Scott.
She first asked Trump a series of questions regarding the gift to the U.S. government, starting with, “Has Qatar asked for anything in exchange for that $400 million luxury jumbo jet, and how can the American people be so sure that they will not in the future?”
The president responded, recounting that he’s “very disappointed that it’s taken Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One. You know we have an Air Force One that’s 40 years old.”
Trump then pointed out that he had signed an order to have new Air Force Ones built during his first term, which had been a project started during Barack Obama’s administration.
Then, when Joe Biden came to office in 2021, the project was further delayed as new changes were requested, according to Trump.
“It’s going to be a while before we get them,” the president said, and Qatar knew about the situation and wanted to do a “nice gesture.”
“I could be a stupid person and say, ‘Oh no. We don’t want a free plane.’ We give free things out. We’ll take one, too,” Trump said, elaborating that the U.S. provides security for Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
When pressed by @RachelVScott about accepting a new presidential plane from Qatar, Pres. Trump said, “I think it’s a great gesture from Qatar, I appreciate it very much. I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer.” https://t.co/XsrBVLtdHc pic.twitter.com/zJbYlZqNPw
— ABC News (@ABC) May 12, 2025
Do you ever watch ABC?
He further argued that the maintenance to keep the current Air Force Ones flying is “astronomical.”
Trump summarized, “I think it’s a great gesture from Qatar. I appreciate it very much. I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer.”
He then said the plane will eventually be decommissioned and become part of his presidential library someday, similar to an Air Force One flown during Ronald Reagan’s administration, which is now in his library.
Scott was not willing to let the issue go and continued to question Trump about it when he sat down to sign an executive order regarding pharmaceutical drug pricing.
“What do you say to people who view that luxury jet as a personal gift to you?” she asked.
“You’re ABC Fake News right? … You should be embarrassed asking that question. They’re giving us a free jet. I could say, ‘No … I want to pay you $1 billion or whatever it is,’ or I could say, ‘Thank you very much,’” Trump responded, now obviously agitated by Scott.
ABC: “What do you say to people who view that luxury jet as a personal gift to you?”@POTUS: “You’re ABC Fake News right?… You should be embarrassed asking that question. They’re giving us a free jet. I could say no… I want to pay you $1B… Or I could say thank you.” pic.twitter.com/Q22i73Asle
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 12, 2025
He then referenced legendary golfer Sam Snead, who had a motto, “When they give you a putt, you say, ‘Thank you very much.’ You pick up your ball, and you walk to the next hole.”
“A lot of people are stupid and say, ‘No. I insist on putting,’ and then they putt it, and they miss it, and their partner gets angry at them,” he added. “Remember that. Sam Snead, when they give you a putt, you pick it up, and you walk to the next hole, and you say, ‘Thank you very much.’”
Scott followed up yet again and asked if anyone ever gave such an expensive gift and not expected anything in return.
“It’s not a gift to me. It’s a gift to the Department of Defense,” Trump answered.
So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane.…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) May 12, 2025
He concluded, “You should know better because you’ve been embarrassed enough, and so has your network. Your network is a disaster. ABC is a disaster.”
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