Trump Responds to Reporter on Qatar Jets at White House
During a press conference at the White House on Wednesday, President Donald Trump expressed frustration with an NBC reporter who raised questions about the Department of Defense’s recent decision to accept jumbo jets from Qatar. “What are you talking about? You know, you should get out of here,” Trump retorted when asked if the jets would be used as Air Force One.
These questions surfaced shortly after Trump had instructed his staff to dim the lights and present a video on the treatment of white farmers in South Africa, during a meeting with various African leaders.
The Trump administration has also announced its efforts to support white South African farmers recently, noting claims of “unfair racism” they encountered in their home country.
In a pointed exchange, Trump accused NBC News of attempting to shift focus away from serious topics, such as the alleged genocide in South Africa, right after challenging a reporter believed to be Peter Alexander from the network. “What does this have to do with the Qatar jets?” he questioned.
According to Trump, “They’re giving the US Air Force a jet. OK? And that’s great. We’re talking about a lot of other things. It’s trying to take down the subject.” He further criticized the reporter, stating, “You’re a terrible reporter. You don’t have what you need to be a reporter. You’re not smart enough.” At that point, he seemed to shift his attention to another reporter for further questions.
Fox News Digital reached out to NBC News for a comment but did not receive a prompt response. Meanwhile, the Pentagon confirmed it had accepted the Qatar jetliner.
The decision to accept the Qatari jets has drawn criticism from both sides of the political aisle. Lawmakers have raised concerns regarding espionage and constitutional implications surrounding the jets.
Some Democrats are calling for an immediate ethical investigation into the gift of the Qatari plane to Trump.
Concerns from Democrats center around constitutional provisions related to gifts from foreign governments, specifically the emoluments clause, which prohibits accepting such gifts without Congressional consent. There are uncertainties about how this applies to the President.
Legal experts have suggested that if the plane is officially a gift from the Qatari government to the U.S. government, rather than a personal gift to the president, it may not face legal hurdles. “If this is, in essence, a government-to-government gift, then there are likely no legal issues,” one expert noted.
Trump has consistently defended the need for these jets amid frustrations with delays from Boeing regarding the delivery of a new Air Force One fleet. He expressed disappointment about the slow progress, stressing, “We have a 40-year-old Air Force, and if you look at it, it’s not even the same ballgame compared to the newer planes.” He indicated that he had taken steps to lower costs as he inherited the project from the previous administration.
