CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Calls Out Trump For Changing Tune on ‘Funder of Terrorism’ Now That He’s Getting ‘Lavish’ $400M Plane
CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins called out President Donald Trump’s shift in tone on Qatar after they offered him a “lavish” $400 million gift — contrasting it with his previous denunciation of the country as a “funder of terrorism.”
ABC News broke the bombshell news on Sunday that the president will accept a luxurious $400 million “flying palace” to serve as Air Force One until it is transferred — at taxpayer expense — to his presidential library. Trump and his administration insists it’s not “bribery,” while critics from every quarter have denounced the move. Some have cited support for terrorism as grounds for criticism.
On Monday night’s edition of CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, Collins noted one former critic of Qatar’s support for terrorism was 45th President Donald Trump — complete with video:
KAITLAN COLLINS: If it’s anything like his first visit to the Kingdom, in 2017, President Trump’s trip will be full of pageantry, maybe even sword dances, his face projected onto the side of hotels. The royal families of the Gulf certainly know how to impress President Trump.
And this trip will stand certainly in stark contrast to the last U.S. president to visit Saudi Arabia, when President Biden’s aides were worried over whether or not he should even shake the Crown Prince’s hand upon greeting him. The success of this trip may be measured by the combined price tags of any agreement that President Trump puts his signature on.
But even before he’s arrived in the region, his hosts are bearing gifts. Trump’s second stop will be in Doha. And CNN has confirmed that the Qatari royal family is going to gift the Trump administration, a Boeing jet, with an estimated value of $400 million, which will then be converted into Air Force One for President Trump’s use. It would be one of the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the U.S. government. When Trump leaves office, he confirmed to reporters today, that it will go to his eventual presidential library.
The gift and the giver is not sitting well with some of even his biggest MAGA backers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN SHAPIRO, HOST, “THE BEN SHAPIRO SHOW”: Taking sacks of goodies from people who support Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Jazeera, all the rest — that’s not America First. Like, please define America First in a way that says you take — you should take sacks of cash from the Qatari Royals who are behind Al Jazeera. It just isn’t America First, in any conceivable way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: When he himself was pressed, on the ethical and legal implications of accepting such a lavish gift from a foreign government, before he left Washington today, the President told reporters that only stupid people would reject such a gift.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I think it’s a great gesture from Qatar. I appreciate it very much. I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person, say, No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane. But it was — I thought it was a great gesture.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Now, all of this stands in contrast to what the President said about Qatar, the last time he was in office, when he accused them of being a sponsor of terrorism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism, at a very high level. And in the wake of that conference, nations came together, and spoke to me, about confronting Qatar over its behavior.
So we had a decision to make. Do we take the easy road? Or do we finally take a hard, but necessary action? We have to stop the funding of terrorism. I decided, along with Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, our great generals and military people, the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding. They have to end that funding. (END VIDEO CLIP)
Watch above via CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins.
