Trump called ABC News a “disaster” when addressing a question from a reporter about a private jet at the White House on Monday. This happened when Trump was about to sign an executive order while addressing the price of medicine going down in the country – as some said he looked unusually orange. However, the President spent most of his time speaking about the recent trade deal with China.
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Trump blasts ‘fake ABC News’
President Trump lashed out at ABC News reporter Rachel Scott after she questioned whether a $400 million luxury jet donated by Qatar’s royal family to the Pentagon could be perceived as a personal gift to him. ABC News Network recently paid $16 million to Trump as part of a defamation settlement.
“I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer,” Trump said. “I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’ But I thought it was a great gesture.”
The exchange with Scott quickly turned confrontational when she asked, “What do you say to people who view that luxury jet as a personal gift to you?”Trump fired back: “You’re ABC fake news, right? Only ABC — well, a few of you would … Let me tell you, you should be embarrassed asking that question. 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.”Scott attempted to follow up by pointing out that some may view the situation through a business lens.
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“Respectfully, sir, as a businessman, some people may look at this and say, have you ever been given a gift worth millions of dollars and then not –” she began, before Trump cut her off again.
“It’s not a gift to me, it’s a gift to the Department of Defense,” Trump said. “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.”
What has this triggered a row?
The Trump administration has maintained that the Qatar jet is a gesture of goodwill to the US government but critics have raised legal concerns. Ethics watchdogs have raised concerns about transparency and foreign influence, particularly given Qatar’s efforts to bolster its profile in Washington over the past decade.
Air Force One is a modified Boeing 747. Two exist, and the president flies on both, which are more than 30 years old. ABC News was the first to report the donation, which has sparked questions about its purpose and the optics of such a high-value gift coming from a foreign monarchy with strong diplomatic ties to the Trump White House.
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In December, ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos agreed to pay $16 million to resolve a defamation lawsuit filed by Trump against the Disney-owned network.
The lawsuit stemmed from a March 2024 broadcast where Stephanopoulos incorrectly stated that Trump had been found liable for rape in the civil case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. In reality, the jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, but not rape.
‘Very nice gesture’
“And I think Qatar, who has really — we’ve helped them a lot over the years in terms of security and safety — I felt they, I think they — and very, very nicely — and I have a lot of respect for the leadership and for the leader.”
The offer is “a very nice gesture,” the president added, telling reporters that he would take the plane.
The plane would be donated to the Department of Defense, and Trump stated he would use it only during his time in office—by which point Boeing’s aircraft should be completed—before ultimately donating the Qatar jet to his presidential library.
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“If we can get a 747, as a contribution to our Defense Department to use a couple of years while they’re building the other ones, I think that was a very nice gesture. Now I could be a stupid person to say, ‘Oh no, we don’t want a free plane.’”
“We give free things out. We’ll take one too, and it helps us out. Because, again, we’re talking about we have 40-year-old aircraft.”
‘Gesture of good faith’
Trump said the leadership of Qatar knew that Boeing has encountered delays building the next generation of the Air Force One aircraft and wanted to help by giving a plane to the US government. He said, “I could be a stupid person and say we don’t want a free plane” but that the gift from Qatar “helps us out” because the models he currently flies on are decades old.
“This was just a gesture of good faith,” Trump said. News of the $400 million gift prompted criticism from some Democrats and Trump allies. Trump said the plane would ultimately be decommissioned and go to his future presidential library. He said he would not fly on it after he leaves office.
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The offer by Qatar has raised alarms among ethics watchdogs, who have raised questions about the possibility of a quid pro quo expectation of Washington by Doha. Trump lambasted an ABC reporter for raising that criticism Monday, calling it a “stupid question.”
“Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “President Trump’s Administration is committed to full transparency.”
Trump will visit Qatar on the second leg of his trip to the Middle East this week. A White House official told The Post Monday that the plane will neither be presented nor accepted during Trump’s time in the emirate.
