In a recent interview, President Trump expressed his belief that the US should possess superior aircraft compared to those of other global leaders. He remarked that the current air force is “a lot smaller” and “a lot less impressive” compared to other nations.
“You can look at Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. They have these brand new Boeing 747s,” he told Fox News host Sean Hannity during a discussion aboard Air Force 1. “And then there’s ours next to it. It feels like a completely different plane.”
He further commented, “It’s much smaller and less impressive. As impressive as it is, it just doesn’t measure up.”
Fox News plans to broadcast the complete interview on Tuesday at 9 PM.
This comes as Trump deals with scrutiny over a $400 million Boeing 747-8 he has agreed to accept as a gift from Qatar. The jet, formerly owned by the Qatari royal family, will be handed over to the US Department of Defense and later moved to Trump’s presidential library after he leaves office.
Trump has received backlash from foreign officials for agreeing to this costly gift. On Monday, he dismissed concerns from White House reporters, calling it “silly” to decline the offer, and reiterated his stance in the Hannity interview.
“Some people say, ‘You shouldn’t accept a gift for the country.’ But why can’t I? We give to others, so why not accept gifts ourselves?” Trump remarked.
The Department of Defense is currently working on replacing the aging 747s that are part of the Air Force fleet, although the contract with Boeing is facing several delays.
“I think it’ll take a few years before Boeing finishes,” Trump shared with Hannity. “And when they’re done, they’ll be great.”
