Trump has ‘disturbing’ response after South African president calls him out with dig about $400,000,000 plane gift
The South African president has called out Donald Trump with a dig about his $400 million 'flying palace' present.
Earlier this month, Trump confirmed he was set to receive a gift unlike any sitting US president before - a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the Qatar royal family that is so luxurious, it has been dubbed a 'palace in the sky.'
The move ignited bipartisan criticism and sparked concerns that accepting the gift would contravene the US constitution and amount to bribery from a foreign power.
Yet despite the backlash, the Trump administration accepted it this week with plans to use it as a new Air Force One – the military jet that transports the president.
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Now it appears the decision has rustled feathers across the world too with the South African president taking the chance to make a dig about it while in a heated meeting on Wednesday (May 21).
Meeting in the Oval Office, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa had a bewildering discussion with Trump as the POTUS rambled about disproven conspiracy theories, alleging that white farmers in the country have become the victims of a genocide.
Trump continued in his rant that the 'fake news' media was more interested in reporting on his lavish $400 million plane than the alleged race-based murders in South Africa, to which Ramaphosa had a somewhat tongue-in-cheek response.
“I'm sorry, I didn't have a plane to give you,” he said, to which Trump replied: "I wish you did. I would take it.
"If your country offered the United States Air Force a plane, I would take it."
Racing to social media, many said Trump's response gave some 'disturbing' insight into the administration.
"That's a really disturbing way of saying 'I can be bought. America can be bought. I wish you could afford to buy me'," one said on Reddit.
Another wrote: "This is actually a truly 'mask off' moment... Disgusting and I hope the MAGA nuts see how wrong this is."
The bizarre exchange came as the Trump appeared to ambush Ramaphosa, claiming 'people are fleeing South Africa for their own safety'.
The meeting took an even darker turn when Trump dimmed the lights to play an anti-apartheid song that includes lyrics about killing a farmer.
The video, made by South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, also included alleged footage of white crucifixes, alluding to murdered white farmers.
“Their land is being confiscated and in many cases they’re being killed," Trump added before going to accuse the state of sanctioning violence against white people.
But Ramaphosa did not entertain the theory and set the record straight, saying EFF's song is considered controversial in South Africa. A court ruled that the song cannot be banned as a reasonable person would know it's 'not meant to be understood literally'.
“We are completely opposed to that,” Ramaphosa stated, adding that his government is 'completely, completely against what he was saying.'
He also encouraged his US counterpart to actually 'listen' to the 'voices of South Africans'.
At one point, South African businessman Johann Rupert interrupted to tell the president that while it's agreed the country has 'too many deaths', they are 'across the board.'
"It's not only white farmers. It's across the board," he said.
Meanwhile, farmers in the country's largest agricultural expo denied anti-white violence, as have the South African courts.
But that hasn't stopped Trump from peddling the narrative alongside his South African 'First Buddy' Elon Musk, and even going so far as to grant refugee status to more than 50 white South Africans.
Trump has also reportedly prohibited the government from participating in this year's G20 summit in Johannesburg, although Ramaphosa said after their meeting he expects Trump to be there.
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, Elon Musk, US News, Africa
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