Trump uses golf icons motto to justify $400M | Golf News

During a heated exchange with a reporter on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump evoked the reminiscence of golf legend Sam Snead while deflecting criticism concerning his potential acceptance of a $400 million luxurious jet from Qatar’s Royal household.

Trump, an avid golfer who has managed to squeeze in common rounds between presidential tasks, has welcomed Tiger Woods to the White House a number of instances since his reelection and has been concerned in talks about a potential PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger. On Monday, when pressed by a reporter, Trump referenced a well-known saying attributed to Snead.

Rumors swirl that forward of his journey to Qatar, Trump may obtain a personal jet from the nation’s Royal household, even considering its use as a stand-in Air Force One. Fending off questioning from an ABC News reporter about accepting the lavish jet for personal use, Trump recounted an anecdote supposedly from Snead to dismiss any impropriety.

“What do you say to people who say that you got a luxury jet as a personal gift to you?” the ABC News journalist probed. “Why not leave it behind?”.

Trump retorted: “You should be embarrassed asking that question. They’re giving us a free jet. I could say no, no, no. Don’t give us [the jet], I want to pay you $1 billion or $400 million or whatever it is. Or I could say thank you very much.

“There was an previous golfer named Sam Snead … and he had a motto. When they provide you a putt, you choose it up, you stroll to the next gap and you say, ‘Thank you very a lot.’ So much of people are silly, they are saying, ‘No, no, I insist on placing it.’ And then they putt it, and they miss it, and their companion will get indignant at them.”

While Trump recalled Snead’s saying with a general accuracy, the golf legend is thought to have phrased it somewhat differently: “Keep close rely of your nickels and dimes, keep away from whiskey, and never concede a putt,” is what Snead reportedly said.

Nonetheless, Trump indicated that he would only consider accepting the jet if U.S. manufacturer Boeing was experiencing significant delays. He continued by lauding the approach to aircraft by Arab nations, suggesting that their planes seem futuristic when compared to Western ones.

“You look at some of the Arab international locations and the planes they’ve parked alongside the United States of America aircraft, it is like from a totally different planet,” Trump remarked. “I’ve a lot of respect for the management and for the chief of Qatar.

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“They knew about [manufacturing delays] because they buy Boeings, they buy a lot of Boeings, and they knew about it and they said we would like to do something. And if we can get a 747 as a contribution to our defense department to use for a couple of years while they’re building the other ones, I think that was a very nice gesture.”

Karoline Leavitt, the White House’s spokeswoman, made it clear in a latest assertion that the administration is enjoying by the foundations when it comes to receiving presents. “Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump’s Administration is committed to full transparency,” she said.

In response to swirling rumors, Qatar’s media attaché, Ali Al-Ansari, has been fast to dispel the notion that Trump will likely be gifted a jet on his go to. While he did not dismiss the likelihood of an offer down the road, Al-Ansari emphasised that for now, no resolution is on the horizon.

He went on to disclose ongoing discussions about loaning an plane to serve as Air Force One briefly. “The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the U.S Department of Defense,” Al-Ansari mentioned. ‘But the matter stays under review by the respective legal departments, and no resolution has been made.”