President Donald Trump on Monday clashed with ABC News Rachel Scott’s reporter after asked if a $ 400 million luxury aircraft donated by Qatar’s royal family in the Pentagon could be perceived as a personal gift to her.
The tense exchange with Scott, whose network recently paid $ 16 million for Trump as part of a slander solution, occurred during a White House signing ceremony, where the president praised the donation of the plane and rejected any suggestions that it was inappropriate.
“I would never be one to refute that kind of offer,” Trump said.
“I mean, I can be a stupid person and say,” No, we don’t want a free, very expensive plane. “But I thought it was a great gesture.”
The exchange with Scott quickly returned confrontation when she asked, “What do you say to people who see that luxury aircraft as a personal gift to you?”
Trump left work: “You’re abc fake news, or not? Just ABC – Okay, some of you will let me tell you, you have to be embarrassed by asking that question. They’re giving us a free aircraft. I can say,” No, don’t give us. I want to pay you a billion, or 400 million, or whatever it is. “Or I can say a lot thank you.”
Scott tried to follow, stressing that some can see the situation through a business lens.
“With respect, sir, as a businessman, some people can see this and say, have you ever been given a gift worth millions of dollars and not -” it began, before Trump interrupts it again.
“It’s not a gift for me, it’s a gift for the Defense Department,” Trump said. “And you need to know better because you have been in embarrassed enough, and so has your network. Your network is a disaster. ABC is a disaster.”
Despite the insistence of the administration that the aircraft is a gesture of goodwill for the US government, ethics guards have raised concerns about foreign transparency and influence, especially given Qatar’s efforts to strengthen its profile in Washington over the past decade.
The Pentagon is set to take possession of the aircraft, described as a bold Boeing business, which Trump said comes without attached wires.
The one air force is a modified Boeing 747 there are two, and the president flies in both, which are more than 30 years old.
Boeing has a contract to produce up -to -date versions, but the delivery is delayed while the company has lost billions of dollars in the project.
Trump aims to turn Qatar’s plane into a plane where he can fly as president, with the air force planning to add safe communications and other elements classified in it.
But there will still be more disabilities than existing planes built to serve as one air force, as well as two other aircraft currently under construction, a former US official told AP.
ABC News was the first to report the donation, which has aroused questions about its purpose and the optics of such a high value gift coming from a foreign monarchy with strong diplomatic connections with the White House Trump.
In December, ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos agreed to pay $ 16m to settle a trump defamation lawsuit against Disney -owned network.
The judicial proceeding stemmed from a March 2024 broadcast, where Stephanopoulos mistakenly stated that Trump was found responsible for rape in the civil case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll.
In reality, the jury found Trump responsible for sexual abuse and slander, but not rape.
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