ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) —President Donald Trump hasn’t been shy about sharing his thoughts since taking office, and he added a 20-minute Q&A with reporters aboard Air Force One to the mix. He held forth on everything from the color of the presidential plane to the fate of TikTok, Greenland and Canada.
Trump popped in to the plane's press cabin Saturday night while flying from Las Vegas to Florida, where he was staying at his Doral golf club through Monday evening, though he insisted he'd be too busy to hit the links.
The new president scoffed at reporters getting “a bit more access” than under his predecessor, Joe Biden, and joked it was “like 5,000%” different — meaning he was willing to answer a lot more questions. Trump called Air Force One a “special plane” but observed that it hasn’t changed much from his last term. And, yes, he still wants to change the plane’s exterior colors.
“We want power blue, not baby blue,” Trump said. “Everything has its time and place. We’ll be changing the colors.”
Here are some highlights from the conversation:
Trump says he still wants Greenland, and Canada ‘should be a state’
President Trump reiterated his desire to somehow purchase Greenland from Denmark, despite that country insisting it's not for sale.
“I do believe Greenland, we’ll get because it really has to do with freedom of the world,” he said. “It has nothing to do with the United States, other than we’re the one that can provide the freedom.”
The president also made some of his most extensive comments about his recent suggestions that Canada could become part of the U.S.
“I love Canada,” he said. “I have so many friends up in Canada. And they like us, and they like me. But Canada’s been taking advantage of the United States for years, and we’re not going to let that happen.”
He suggested that the U.S. is losing hundreds of millions annually to Canada in trade deficits while Canada does “almost 90% of their business with the United States.”
“I don’t want to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on supporting the country unless that country is a state. And, if it’s a state, the people of Canada will pay a much lower tax.”
He said Canadians would also “have no military problems, they’d be much more secure in every way, and I think it’s a great thing for Canada.”
“I view it as, honestly, a country that should be a state,” he said. “Then, they’ll get much better treatment, much better care and much lower taxes and they’ll be much more secure.”
Trump floats plan to 'clean out' Gaza
Trump said he would like to see Jordan, Egypt and other Arab nations increase the number of Palestinian refugees they are accepting from the Gaza Strip, potentially moving out enough of the population to “just clean out” the war-torn area to create a virtual clean slate.
Trump also said he has ended his predecessor’s hold on sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. That lifts a pressure point meant to reduce civilian casualties during Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza, which is now halted by a tenuous ceasefire.
“We released them today," Trump said of the bombs. “They’ve been waiting for them for a long time." Asked why he lifted the ban on those bombs, Trump responded, “Because they bought them.”
Trump has built his political career around being unapologetically pro-Israel. On his larger vision for Gaza, Trump said he had call earlier in the day with King Abdullah II of Jordan and would speak Sunday with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt.
“I’d like Egypt to take people, and I’d like Jordan to take people,” Trump said. “You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, we just clean out that whole thing."
Trump said he complimented Jordan for having successfully accepted Palestinian refugees and that he told the king, “I’d love for you to take on more, cause I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it’s a mess. It’s a real mess.”
Such a drastic displacement of people would openly contradict Palestinian identity and deep connection to Gaza. Still, Trump said the part of the world that encompasses Gaza, has “had many, many conflicts” over centuries. He said resettling “could be temporary or long term.”
“Something has to happen," Trump said. “But it’s literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything’s demolished, and people are dying there.” He added: “So, I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations, and build housing in a different location, where they can maybe live in peace for a change.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement Sunday, thanked Trump for “keeping your promise to give Israel the tools it needs to defend itself.” He did not mention Trump's suggestion on Palestinian refugees.
Trump says he’s talking with potential investors about the future of TikTok
Trump said he’s considering several possible investors who are looking to purchase TikTok, which faces the prospect of a U.S. ban if it isn't sold by its Chinese parent company.
“Numerous people are talking to me," he said. “Very substantial people.” He said he expects to decide what happens next “probably over the next 30 days.”
The president said he'd not been in contact with Oracle about buying TikTok, despite reports that he had, and that he'd not spoken to Oracle's billionaire co-founder Larry Ellison, whom he called a friend. He noted Ellison lives “right down the road” from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
But he said there are many other potential buyers.
“We have a lot of interest in it, and the United States will be a big beneficiary,” Trump said of a potential sale. “I’d only do it if the United States benefits.”
He added that, “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok” because he felt like it improved his standing with young voters in November’s presidential election.