On Friday, President Trump made a lighthearted remark about wishing he had asked for “more” from Gulf nations during his recent trip to the Middle East. His visit resulted in over $2 trillion in U.S. investments and even an upgrade for Air Force One.
“No trip has ever been like this,” Trump told Brett Beyer, host of Fox News’ Special Report, reflecting on the four-day journey across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
During this Middle Eastern tour, he secured several significant agreements, including a $600 billion investment pledge from Saudi Arabia, a $1.2 trillion economic deal, and a $243.5 billion commercial and defense agreement with both Qatar and the UAE.
“I should have asked for more,” he quipped about the duration of the trip.
Before embarking on this journey—the first official foreign trip of his second term—Trump was gifted an upgraded Boeing 747-8, valued at around $400 million, by members of the Qatari royal family.
Plans are in place for the Department of Defense to modify the jet to meet presidential standards, using it as a temporary stand-in for the aging Air Force One currently in service.
Interestingly, the jets that are stationed in the U.S. were not provided to him during his visit. Trump expressed frustration about Boeing’s slow progress in delivering a new Air Force aircraft.
“You know, I hadn’t even heard about it for three days until you brought it up,” he expressed exasperation to Bayer while discussing the plane. “I can keep talking. Are you prepared?”
“They’ve handed it over to the U.S. Air Force/Doctors and not to me,” he insisted.
“I’ve accomplished a lot,” he added, pointing out Boeing’s lengthy timeline for delivering planes. “It’ll be years before anything newer arrives.”
Trump highlighted that he secured more than $1 trillion in U.S. investments during his travels.
He claimed that relations between the U.S. and the Gulf nations are currently stronger than ever.
The president criticized the previous administration for mishandling relations with these countries, stating, “It was never managed properly.”
He also pointed out that former President Joe Biden did not handle interactions with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE very well at all.
Trump mentioned that China had been making headway with these nations. “It’ll resolve China’s fuel issues indefinitely,” he commented.
He’s confident that under his leadership, close ties between Gulf countries and China won’t be on the horizon. “We’re more connected than ever,” he stated regarding his relationships with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.
