A.G. Gancarski
Gov. Ron DeSantis has avoided direct criticism of President Donald Trump since he left the presidential race, and he continued that practice when asked about whether Trump should accept a plane from Qatar.
During a roughly two-minute response, the Governor dodged the original question and a restatement from the reporter who asked it, ending the press conference rather than offering a direct comment.
“He did a great job in the first term and I think that if he can just simply replicate that going forward, I think that would be a big success for the country,” DeSantis said of Trump. “But I do think Qatar’s influence, they have spent a lot of money in this country, and I think that that’s something that people should take notice of.”
Urging Trump to be “clear-eyed” about Qatar’s “double game,” like the President was in his first term, DeSantis said the country was “involved in funding some very, very dangerous causes … involved in terrorism.”
That could be seen as an indirect criticism of the gift, which many Republicans in Washington have hammered. But Trump sees no controversy in taking the plane, especially given issues getting delivery from Boeing.
“The Boeing 747 is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME! It is a gift from a Nation, Qatar, that we have successfully defended for many years. It will be used by our Government as a temporary Air Force One, until such time as our new Boeings, which are very late on delivery, arrive” he posted to Truth Social.
“Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done. This big savings will be spent, instead, to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country.”
On Tuesday, Trump defended the gift to Sean Hannity.
“Some people say you shouldn’t accept gifts for the country, my attitude is: Why wouldn’t I accept a gift? We’re giving to everyone else,” Trump said. “I get nothing, I get to fly it like any other President would.”
Other staunch Trump allies from Florida have been far more direct than DeSantis.
“I worry about the President of the United States flying on any plane owned by a foreign government, especially a foreign government that supports Hamas,” U.S. Sen. Rick Scott said Tuesday to Semafor.
