Speaking to reporters from the White House on Monday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt torched the media for spreading misinformation regarding the Qatari jet that they claimed was “gifted” to President Donald Trump.
When asked about the luxury airliner, Leavitt stated: “Let's be very clear...This plane is NOT a personal donation or a gift to the President of the United States!"
"I was watching the American press spew a lot of misinformation about the plane donation,” Leavitt said, adding, "Everyone who wrote that last week should go and correct their stories."
🔥Karoline Leavitt just TORCHED the media for lying about the plane being gifted to the U.S. Air Force:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 19, 2025
"I was watching the American press spew a lot of misinformation about the plane donation...Let's be very clear...This plane is NOT a personal donation or a gift to the… pic.twitter.com/ZZxGTXCVtF
Leavitt confirmed that the “Qatari family has offered to donate this plane to the United States Air Force.”
“That donation will be accepted according to all legal and ethical obligations. It will be retrofitted to the highest of standards by the Department of Defense and the United States Air Force,” she said.
“This is a donation to our country and to the United States Air Force,” she added.
Last week, when news about the jet broke during Trump’s visit to the Middle East, the president asserted that he would be a “stupid person” to turn down the donation of the jet.
"I think it's a great gesture from Qatar. Appreciate it very much," Trump said last week. "I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, 'No, we don't want a free, very expensive airplane.' But it was, I thought it was a great gesture."
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