President Donald Trump recently defended his decision to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 airplane from Qatar. During a press event on Monday, he was asked about the plane by ABC News reporter Rachel Scott, who questioned why he was taking the jet instead of leaving it behind. Scott asked, “What do you say to people who view that luxury jet as a personal gift to you? Why not leave it behind?”
Trump replied sharply, “You’re ABC fake news, right?” He then told Scott she should be “embarrassed” for asking the question. He continued, “They’re giving us a free jet, I could say no, no, no, don’t give us, I want to pay you a billion or $400 million or whatever it is, or I could say, ‘Thank you very much.’”
The Boeing 747-8 is known for being fuel-efficient and quiet, but it’s especially famous for its luxurious interior, designed by the high-end French firm Alberto Pinto Cabinet. The plane includes elegant suites, bedrooms, lounges, and dining areas. Most rooms are decorated with rich carpets, leather sofas, and gold accents.
Some critics, including people from Trump’s own MAGA base, were concerned about the appearance of accepting such a valuable gift. They said it looked suspicious and questioned his relationship with Qatar.
Trump responded by referencing golf legend Sam Snead: “He had a motto, when they give you a putt, you say, ‘Thank you very much,’ you pick up your ball and you walk to the next hole.”
When Scott asked why a businessman would accept a multi-million-dollar plane while serving as president, Trump got defensive again. “It’s not a gift to me, it’s a gift to the Department of Defense, and you should know better because you’ve been embarrassed enough and so has your network, your network is a disaster, ABC is a disaster,” he said.
Trump and Scott have had tensions before. During a 2024 event with the National Association of Black Journalists, Scott challenged Trump on his past statements about race. She mentioned his comments about former President Barack Obama, women of color in Congress, Black prosecutors, and a dinner with a white supremacist.
Scott asked, “My question, sir, now that you are asking black supporters to vote for you, why should black voters trust you after you have used language like that?”
Trump responded back then by calling ABC News “a fake news network, a terrible network” and described her question as “disgraceful.” He said he had come to the event “in good spirit” and felt her introduction was rude.
Back to the current issue, Trump said again that Qatar didn’t ask for anything in return for the plane. He shared his frustration with how long Boeing is taking to build the next Air Force One, saying the current presidential plane is about 40 years old.
“It’s not even the same ballgame, you look at some of the Arab countries, and the planes they have parked alongside the United States of America plane, it’s like a different planet,” he said.
Trump explained that Qatar had bought the plane from Boeing and added that only a “stupid” person would reject it. He said, “If we can get a 747 as a contribution to our Defense Department to use during a couple of years while they are building the new ones, I think that is a very nice gesture.”
He called the plane a “gesture of good faith” from Qatar, mentioning everything the U.S. has done for the country. Trump also said keeping the old Air Force One running is extremely expensive. “The maintenance we spend on those planes to keep them tippy-top is astronomical, you wouldn’t even believe it,” he said.
Trump ended by saying he won’t use the plane after leaving office. Instead, he plans to retire it and place it in his presidential library, similar to how Ronald Reagan’s plane was preserved in a museum.
