Free Plane, Free Rein: When Statecraft Meets Self-Interest

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Journalists chat as video of a plane is shown on a screen while landing at at Al Ula airport in Saudi Arabia, Jan. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, file)
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“I could be a stupid person and say, ‘Oh no, we don’t want a free plane.’ We give free things out—we’ll take one, too. And it helps us out. I would never be one to turn down that kind of offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.'”

President Donald Trump announced he’ll use a $400 million luxury jet from as his new Air Force One and plans to give it to his personal foundation when he leaves office. Critics say it’s the latest sign he’s blurring the lines between governing and self-dealing.

Shortly after that remark in Riyadh, Trump lifted U.S. on Syria, now that Bashar al-Assad is gone. He urged Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords and called on Iran to sit down with the U.S. over its nuclear program.

This marks Trump’s first major overseas trip of his second term, aimed at locking in deals after his tariff blitz.


Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.

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AURN NEWS WITH EBONY MCMORRIS