Trump brags on bribes: 'when you're given gifts you take them!'

US President Donald Trump reacts topics in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 4, 2026. REUTERS_Jonathan Ernst

President Donald Trump, faced with accusations of bribery for accepting a 747 jet as a gift from the Qatari government, openly bragged at an Arizona rally that he took the airplane because "when you're given gifts, you take them!"

After quoting the legendary golfer Sam Snead to illustrate a point — specifically, Snead's quote "you know, when they give you a putt, you say just two words: ‘Thank you.’ You bend down, you pick it up, and you walk to the next hole.” — Trump compared accepting a substitute Air Force One from royalty to being generous to an opposing golfer during a game.

"It’s been years with ordered and waiting for the new ones," Trump said. "And I went to a very fine person, actually, Tamim, the Emir of Qatar. Extremely wealthy people, great people, actually. And I said, 'We would love to borrow your 747. The United States of America would love to borrow it, because our planes are 35 years old.'"

He added, "The old one, the baby blues. I think we like this coloring scheme better, right? Red, white, and blue. I added a little gold, if you don’t mind. A little touch."

Trump continued, "But I said, with love, I called Boeing. I said, 'Who’s got the greatest, the best of all the 747s that have been built?' And they said, 'Definitely the Qataris, Qatar.' So I called up the head of Qatar. Highly respected guy, great guy, young, handsome guy, actually. Great to be young, handsome, and have plenty of cash. And he had it, just like very few hours, very little used. And I said, 'Tamim, if it’s possible, on behalf of the United States of America, the Air Force, I’d love to be able to borrow or use your 747 as Air Force One for a little while while we wait for ours.'"

According to Trump, Tamim then said, “No, no, no. No, no, no. You’re my friend. I will not allow you to borrow it or use it. I will allow you to, on behalf of the United States, have it. You may have it.'"

This, Trump concluded, was why he accepted the jet; to "remember Sam Snead: when they give you the putt, you say, 'Thank you.' When they give you the airplane, you say, 'Thank you. We appreciate it.'"

Although Trump initially attempted to ameliorate criticisms of his accepting the jet by promising he would donate it to his presidential library after his administration ends, he has since walked back that promise.

"The plan seemed as clear-cut as it was unorthodox: After he leaves office, President Donald Trump said, the Qatari-gifted plane that he has used as Air Force One will be displayed at his new presidential library," NBC News reported in August. "But that idea appears to have been scrapped. The president’s son Eric Trump told NBC News in a text message Tuesday that the plane that Qatar donated to the Defense Department last year for presidential travel isn’t the one that will go to the library complex in Miami once Trump leaves office."

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