While signing an executive order in the Roosevelt Room on Monday, President Donald Trump pushed back sharply against a question posed by an ABC News journalist regarding a Boeing 747 aircraft that Qatar is offering to the U.S. Department of Defense.
The reporter began by asking Trump how he would respond to those who see the aircraft “as a personal gift to you; why not leave it–” before she could finish, Trump interrupted.
“You’re ABC fake news, right?” Trump asked pointedly.
He then added, “Let me tell you, you should be embarrassed asking that question. They’re giving us a free jet. I could say, ‘No, no, no…I want to pay you a billion or $400 million, or whatever it is.’ Or I could say, ‘Thank you very much.’”
During earlier remarks at the event, Trump explained that the offer from Qatar came in response to delays in Boeing’s production of the next-generation presidential aircraft.
“They knew about it, and they said, ‘We would like to do something.’ And if we can get a 747, as a contribution to our Defense Department to use during a couple of years while they’re building the other ones, I think that was a very nice gesture,” Trump said.
He emphasized that rejecting the plane simply because it was free wouldn’t make sense. “Now 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 stated, pointing out that the current aircraft fleet is decades old and costly to maintain.
Trump also said he believes the generous offer is a reflection of the United States’ continued support for countries in the Middle East.
“I think it was a gesture because of the fact that we have helped, and continue to, we will continue to, all of those countries — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and others. We keep them safe,” Trump remarked.
He concluded by saying, “If it wasn’t for us, they probably wouldn’t exist right now. And I think this was just a gesture of good faith.”

{Matzav.com}