Mortality appeared to be the watchword on Donald Trump's flight to Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, when his flight experienced some turbulence yesterday (December 9).
En route to conduct a speech on his nation's crippling affordability crisis, the US president got chatting to members of the media as they joined him thousands of feet in the sky.
In an audio recording doing the rounds on social media, Trump could be heard talking about eliminating taxes on overtime, Social Security and tips after being asked about getting rid of them on gambling.
He then cut the interview short as the Air Force One craft seemingly cruised into a patch of heavy turbulence.
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However, despite joking around, Trump's brief sign-off statement was rather haunting.
"I think it's better to go up and take our seats, it's a pretty rough flight," the 79-year-old said, before cryptically adding: "Bye everybody, I hope to see you again!"
Fortunately, the surrounding journalists found the humor in it and shared a laugh.
Just days prior to this unsettling event, ABC News reporter Rachel Scott got an earful from the politician after pressing him on the release of military strike tapes.
"You said you would have no problem with releasing the full video of that strike on September 2 off the coast of Venezuela..." she said, leading to a stern interjection.
"I didn't say that, you said that," responded Trump. "I didn't say that, this is ABC fake news."
And yet, a transcript of the question from December 3 shows that he did.
ABC co-worker Selina Wang asked the POTUS directly if footage of the second strike would be released so that 'the American people can see for themselves'.
Trump shared at the time: "I don't know what they have, but whatever they have we'd certainly release, no problem."
The president proceeded to defend his attacks on unmarked vessels that his administration claims are trafficking narcotics.
He made the unfounded claim that the 'kinetic strikes' had stopped '94 percent' of all drugs entering the US by sea, noting that each destroyed boat saves thousands of lives.
"Every boat we sink, we save 25,000 American lives," Trump claimed.
ABC's reporter then attempted to turn Trump's attention back to the video's release, which was shown to Congress in a private viewing.
The persistence appeared to irk the Commander-in-Chief, who aggressively altered his tone.
"You are the most obnoxious reporter in the whole place, let me just tell you, you are an obnoxious, actually, a terrible reporter," Trump fumed.
This isn't the first time Trump has clashed with reporters in recent times, calling one 'piggy' and another 'ugly' in a scathing rant.
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, Travel, Weather
Dan Seddon