Trump says he's not stupid to say 'no' to a free, expensive (Qatari) plane, 'US gives free things all the time'

President Donald Trump addressed the major row over a possible Qatari gift that is likely to become his Air Force One and wondered what is wrong in accepting a free gift from Qatar as the US helped Qatar a lot, with many things, including security. Trump said he's disappointed with Boeing as the company is taking so long to build a new plane for him, as his existing Air Force One is 40 years old. He said he ordered for a new plane during his first term, but it did not get ready and won't get ready anytime soon -- a delay he said his administration inherited from the Joe Biden's government.

Trump said Qatar offered to help as they buy a lot of Boeing, and he would be a fool to turn down a free gift, which is an expensive Boeing. He said the US offers a lot to the Middle-East countries and had it not been for the US, they would not have existed.

.@POTUS: "We're very disappointed that it's taking Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One. We have an Air Force One that is 40 years old... 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,… pic.twitter.com/YVnquDUcyI

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 12, 2025

Democrats were up in arms and called it daylight bribery, forcing the Qatar administration to take a step back and announce that no final decision had been taken.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the legal details on accepting a Boeing 747-8 jet to replace Air Force One as a gift from the Qatari royal family, are “still being worked out,” but that “any donation to this government is always done in full compliance with the law.”

“The Qatari government has graciously offered to donate a plane to the Department of Defense,” Leavitt said in an interview with Fox News amid the uproar.

“The legal details of that are still being worked out, but of course, any donation to this government is always done in full compliance with the law, and we commit ourselves to the utmost transparency, and we will continue to do that,” the press secretary added.

When pressed if she believed this “gift” would require something in return, Leavitt was quick to respond, saying “absolutely not, because they know President Trump, and they know he only works with the interests of the American public in mind.”

President Donald Trump said Sunday night that the Defense Department plans to accept the luxury jet as a “GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE,” on social media.