MAGA Republican President Donald Trump lashed out at ABC News White House correspondent Rachel Scott on Monday because she asked him about his decision to accept a $400 million jumbo jet from the Qatari royal family.
During a press event at the White House, Scott asked:
"What do you say to people who view that luxury jet as a personal gift to you?"
Trump's decision has drawn widespread criticism from across the political divide, even from within his own MAGA minions. And Scott obviously touched a sore spot for Trump, who then attacked ABC News because of it.
Trump's immediate response was:
"You're ABC Fake News, right?"
The POTUS added:
"Let me tell you, you should be embarrassed asking that question. 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, you know?"
You can see the exchange here:
Trump then launched into a strange golf analogy he credited to Sam "The Slammer" Snead, an American golfer who won seven majors—including three Masters and three PGA Championships—between 1934 and his death in 2002. Snead played professionally into his 70s.
Trump said:
"There was an old golfer named Sam Snead. Did you ever hear of him? He won 82 tournaments. And he had a motto. When they give you a putt, you say, 'Thank you very much.' You pick up your ball and you walk to the next hole."
He continued:
"A lot of people are stupid and say no, I insist on putting, and they miss it and their partner gets angry at them. Remember that, Sam Snead. When they give you a putt, you walk to the next hole and say, 'Thank you very much.'"
Scott persisted, asking:
"Respectfully sir, as a businessman, some people may look at this and say, 'Have you ever been given a gift worth millions of dollars and then not received any–"
Before Scott could say the word everyone is thinking—bribe—Trump interjected:
"It's not a gift to me. It's a gift to the Department of Defense, and you should know better, because you've been embarrassed enough, and so has your network. Your network is a disaster. ABC is a disaster."
Critics say accepting the jet is unethical and illegal because it's taking a foreign bribe, but the Trump administration claims there will be no quid pro quo with Qatar and the donation is "under legal review."
People are not thrilled about Trump's decision, even if Sam Snead might have approved.
The first comment on X actually fact-checked the Snead reference and Grok declared it a misquote.
Grok responded:
"The Emoluments Clause (Article I, Section 9, Clause 8) prohibits federal officeholders from accepting foreign gifts without congressional consent. The $400M jet from Qatar, intended for use as Air Force One but later transferring to Trump's library, may violate this as it suggests personal benefit, potentially influencing policy. Critics highlight ethical concerns, though the administration claims compliance."
"Regarding the Sam Snead quote, there's no evidence he said, 'When they give you a putt, you pick it up and walk'. Snead's known sayings, like 'never concede a putt', contradict this, suggesting a misquote."
"You're correct—gimmies aren't in official golf rules for stroke play, where every putt must be holed, though they're common in casual match play."
Others just let everyone know what they think of Trump and those who still support him.
Pushing responsibility onto the Department of Defense is a tune Trump has been singing for some time.
On Sunday he posted:
"So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA"
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
Federal regulations allow government officials to accept a gift valued at "$20 or less per occasion, as long as the aggregate value from a single source doesn't exceed $50 in a calendar year."
This seems like a lot more than that amount.
Additionally, Defense Department regulations state "the U.S. Constitution prohibits federal employees, including DoD personnel, from accepting gifts from foreign governments without congressional consent."
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