'Who's in charge?': Trump ripped for saying 'I don't know' when asked about reported plan
07 May
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media on board Air Force One on the way to Miami, Florida, U.S., April 12, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
When asked about a plan his administration is reportedly working on to send undocumented migrants to Libya, President Donald Trump said, "I don't know," during an Oval Office news conference Wednesday.
"You'll have to ask Homeland Security," the president told reporters.
The Trump administration is proceeding with plans to send undocumented immigrants to the war-torn Libya aboard a United States military plane, several media outlets reported Wednesday, citing administration officials.
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It is unclear when this flight would take place or if additional groups of migrants would be sent to Libya, which is currently experiencing civil conflict.
CNN reported that flight tracking information showed a U.S. Air Force C-17, a type of aircraft commonly used for transporting migrants, is scheduled to depart from San Antonio for Misrata, Libya on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Trump's Wednesday remarks suggesting he is unaware of the plan faced backlash on social media and many commentators have expressed concerns that Libya's migrant system faces allegations of human rights violations.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick wrote on the social platform X: "Yet another in a long line of examples of Trump openly saying he has no idea what his government is doing. In this case, it's about a reported plan to send migrants to Libya, a country whose migrant detention facilities were described as a 'hellscape' by Amnesty Int'l."
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Jon Favreau, former advisor to President Barack Obama, wrote: 1. "CNN has an admin official confirming this and flight trackers that show an Air Force C-17 has filed a plan to fly from TX to Libya 2. Per NYT, both Libyan govt's deny this (one is ruled by a warlord who's son met with Trump admin officials last week) 3. State Dept cites 'harsh and life-threatening' conditions in Libyan detention centers; travel warning cites 'terrorism' 'kidnapping' and 'armed conflict' Who are we sending to this hellhole? How do we know they're even eligible for deportation? How do we know they aren't legal residents or even citizens? What evidence is there that they've committed a crime, let alone crimes that warrant sending them to a torture chamber controlled by an African war lord? It is absolutely insane that our government refuses to answer these questions."
User @ArtCandee wrote: "He never knows anything. Bro is clearly not running this country."
User @MiMagaWatch wrote: "He never knows anything. Who's in charge?"