Trump says he'd be a 'stupid person' to reject jet gifted by Qatar as it could help save taxpayers' money

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump isn’t one to turn down a freebie — especially when it happens to be a luxury Boeing 747-8.

On Monday, May 12, the president confirmed that Qatar offered to gift the US a high-end aircraft to hold things over while Boeing finishes up the long-delayed new Air Force One.

Trump couldn’t help but mock anyone who thinks he should’ve turned it down. “Now, I could be a stupid person and say, ‘Oh no, we don’t want a free plane,’” he told reporters at the White House. “We give free things out, we’ll take one too.”

He doubled down, saying it would be ridiculous not to accept something that could save taxpayers millions in upkeep on aging presidential aircraft. “It helps us out because … we have 40-year-old aircraft. The money we spend, the maintenance we spend on those planes to keep them tippy-top, is astronomical. You wouldn’t even believe it," he argued.

"So, I think it’s a great gesture from Qatar; I appreciate it very much. I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. 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 78-year-old added.

Donald Trump justifies Qatar’s offer of a jet

Donald Trump believes the luxury plane offer wasn’t just about goodwill — it was about gratitude. According to him, Qatar was stepping up because of all the US has done for their safety over the years, The Hill reported.

“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,” he explained.

The commander-in-chief tied the offer to America’s role in protecting Qatar. “We’ve helped them a lot over the years in terms of security and safety,” he said, “If it wasn’t for us, they probably wouldn’t exist right now.”

When an ABC News reporter dared to question whether the plane might be a personal gift, Trump was ready to pounce. “You should be embarrassed asking that question,” he snapped. “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.’”

He even quoted legendary golfer Sam Snead to make his point. “A lot of people are stupid, they say, ‘No no, I insist on putting it,’ and then they put it, they miss it and their partner gets angry at them. … Remember that. Sam Snead — when they give you a putt, you pick it up and you walk to the next hole and you say, ‘Thank you very much.’”

Trump reiterated that the gift isn’t for him, but for the Department of Defense. Still, that hasn’t stopped Democrats from accusing him of using the presidency to benefit himself.

Donald Trump won’t keep the plane after leaving office

Donald Trump also confirmed that he won’t be hopping on the shiny new ride once his second term ends. The plan is to send the gifted Boeing 747 straight to his presidential library.

“I wouldn’t be using it, no,” he confirmed, adding, “It would go directly to the library after I leave office.”

He even noted that there’s precedent. A decommissioned plane sits in Ronald Reagan’s presidential library.

Qatar’s government told The Hill that the jet won’t be presented to Trump during his visit to the country this week, but discussions and debates around the gift have already taken off.

Trump, however, says he’s just tired of waiting on Boeing’s Air Force One revamp. He said he was “very disappointed” that it’s taken them “so long," complaining that some Arab nations are flying jets “from a different planet” compared to what the American presidents are stuck with.

After losing the 2020 election, he said progress on the new Air Force One “didn’t work out.” But once he returned to the White House this January, he checked on the status and found it was still dragging.