Donald Trump exploded at ABC News reporter Rachel Scott on Monday after she questioned him about a $400 million luxury jet from the Qatari royal family and suggested that only a ‘stupid person’ would turn down a free plane.
Scott asked whether Americans might see the plane—described as a flying palace—as a bribe. Trump didn’t take it well.
“You are ABC fake news, right?!” he snapped during a White House press event. “Let me tell you, you should be embarrassed asking that question. They are giving us a free jet. I could say no, don’t give us, I want to pay you a billion or $400 million or whatever it is. Or I can say thank you very much.”
Trump went further, mocking the question and defending the gift by comparing it to a free shot in golf. “Sam Snead had a motto,” Trump said. “When they give you a putt, you walk to the next hole and say thank you very much.”
Then he added: “I could be a stupid person and say we don’t want a free plane. We give free things out. We’ll take one too. It helps us out.”
Scott followed up, asking again whether the Qataris might expect something in return. Trump doubled down.
“It’s not a gift to me, but a gift to the Department of Defense,” he said. “You should know better. You have been embarrassed enough. ABC is a disaster.”
Q: What do you say to people who view that luxury jet as a personal gift to you?
Trump: You should be embarrassed asking that question. They're giving us a free jet. I could say, no, no, no, don't, or I could say thank you very much pic.twitter.com/bdmuhTvcNr
— FactPost (@factpostnews) May 12, 2025
The plane is expected to be used as Air Force One during Trump’s current term, then, according to Trump, handed over to the Trump presidential library.
Critics say the gift crosses the line. The U.S. Constitution’s emoluments clause bars officials from taking gifts from foreign governments. But Trump’s legal team and the Justice Department have signed off—saying it’s legal as long as the plane ends up owned by the library, not Trump personally.
But the optics are bad, even among Trump’s usual defenders. The Free Press, a conservative-leaning outlet, called out the hypocrisy: “The Qatari plane is not an exception but the rule for the second Trump administration so far. Both foreign friends and foes are now treating this as a pay-to-play presidency.”
It’s also raising questions about Trump allies. Attorney General Pam Bondi, a key voice backing the gift’s legality, once worked as a paid lobbyist for Qatar—pulling in $115,000 a month.
On Fox & Friends, even host Brian Kilmeade had concerns. “Do you worry that if they give us something like this, they want something in return?” he asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
“Absolutely not,” she replied. “They know President Trump and they know he only works with the interests of the American public in mind.”
But Trump’s fiery response, dismissing concerns and slamming the reporter as “fake news,” suggests he knows this story won’t go away any time soon.
