Trump Says Qatar Offered Free 747 Instead of Loan
(MENAFN) President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he first sought a short-term loan of a Boeing 747 from Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani for use as Air Force One, only to have the emir offer to hand the aircraft over to Washington outright.
Addressing a rally crowd in Arizona, Trump made light of the exchange:
“When you’re given gifts, you take ’em, right?” Trump told the crowd at a rally in Arizona. “When they give you a 747, you say two words: ‘thank you.’”
The president said he turned to Sheikh Tamim because the planes now carrying US presidents are showing their age. He described the request this way:
“We’d love to borrow it because our planes are 35 years old.
“So I called up the head of Qatar, highly respected guy, great guy, young, handsome guy actually ... and have plenty of cash,” said Trump.
“I said, Tamim, if it’s possible, on behalf of the United States of America, the Air Force, I’d love to be able to borrow or use your 747 as Air Force One for a little while while we wait for ours.”
By Trump’s account, the emir turned down the loan and countered with a gift.
“He said, ‘No, no, no, no, no, no. You are my friend. I will not allow you to borrow it to use it. I will allow you to, on behalf of the United States, have it. You may have it’,” Trump recounted.
Trump said he accepted the aircraft on behalf of the United States.
The US Air Force has designated the Qatari jet VC-25B. It is meant to serve as a stopgap while the military waits for two new Boeing presidential aircraft, due for delivery in 2028.
Addressing a rally crowd in Arizona, Trump made light of the exchange:
“When you’re given gifts, you take ’em, right?” Trump told the crowd at a rally in Arizona. “When they give you a 747, you say two words: ‘thank you.’”
The president said he turned to Sheikh Tamim because the planes now carrying US presidents are showing their age. He described the request this way:
“We’d love to borrow it because our planes are 35 years old.
“So I called up the head of Qatar, highly respected guy, great guy, young, handsome guy actually ... and have plenty of cash,” said Trump.
“I said, Tamim, if it’s possible, on behalf of the United States of America, the Air Force, I’d love to be able to borrow or use your 747 as Air Force One for a little while while we wait for ours.”
By Trump’s account, the emir turned down the loan and countered with a gift.
“He said, ‘No, no, no, no, no, no. You are my friend. I will not allow you to borrow it to use it. I will allow you to, on behalf of the United States, have it. You may have it’,” Trump recounted.
Trump said he accepted the aircraft on behalf of the United States.
The US Air Force has designated the Qatari jet VC-25B. It is meant to serve as a stopgap while the military waits for two new Boeing presidential aircraft, due for delivery in 2028.
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