During an executive order signing at the Roosevelt Room on Monday, President Donald Trump took a jab at ABC News reporters who questioned him about Qatar’s donation of a Boeing 747 to the Department of Defense.
A reporter asked Trump, “Who sees that luxurious jet as a personal gift for you? Would you like to leave it behind?”
Trump responded, asking, “You’re fake news, right?” He continued, “Tell me, are you embarrassed to ask that question? They’re giving us free jets. You can either say, ‘No, no… a billion or 400 million dollars, or whatever that is, I want to pay you.’ Or you could simply say, ‘Thank you very much.’
Earlier in the press conference, Trump mentioned that Catalis had offered jets since the presidential planes being built by Boeing are delayed.
He elaborated, “They were aware of the delays and said, ‘We want to do something.’ If we can get a 747 as a contribution to our Department of Defense, which we could use for years while other projects are underway, I think it would be a great gesture.”
Trump quipped, “Now I could act foolishly and say, ‘Oh, we don’t want a free plane.’ We’ll reject free stuff.”
He expressed his belief that Qatar’s offer stems from the support the U.S. has provided to them and other nations in the region.
“I think it was a gesture because we are assisting and continuing to help in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and more. If it weren’t for us, they probably wouldn’t exist now. I see this as a sincere gesture,” he added.
