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May 22, 2025 – USA/Qatar –
On May 21, 2025, President Donald Trump had a heated exchange with NBC News reporter Peter Alexander during an Oval Office press event with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The confrontation arose when Alexander questioned Trump about the Pentagon’s acceptance of a $400 million Qatari Boeing 747 jet, intended as a temporary replacement for the aging Air Force One fleet. Trump dismissed the question as irrelevant, emphasizing the generosity of Qatar’s gift and accusing Alexander and NBC of trying to deflect attention from a video presented moments earlier that purported to show crimes against white South African farmers.
Trump lashed out, calling Alexander a “terrible reporter” and a “jerk,” and threatened an investigation into NBC’s parent company, Comcast. He defended the jet as a legitimate gift to the U.S. government and reiterated that the plane would be transferred to his presidential library, not personally retained.
The Qatari jet gift has sparked bipartisan criticism. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy called it the “definition of corruption,” accusing Trump of accepting contributions from Gulf states in exchange for favorable national security decisions. Republican Senator Rand Paul and former Vice President Mike Pence echoed concerns, citing ethical and security risks. Critics argue the plane would be used privately by Trump for years, contradicting his “drain the swamp” rhetoric.
During the meeting, Trump also presented Ramaphosa with a video and documents alleging a so-called “genocide” of white farmers in South Africa, a claim widely disputed and unsupported by local data. Ramaphosa responded calmly, asserting that his government opposes such rhetoric and that land reform laws are legal and court-challengeable.
The incident underscores Trump’s ongoing antagonistic relationship with certain members of the press and his willingness to confront media figures publicly. It also highlights the scrutiny and controversy surrounding the acceptance of high-value gifts from foreign entities and their implications for U.S. foreign policy and ethics.
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