Trump touts business deals and U.S. strength during Middle East trip
President Donald Trump met with top business leaders in Qatar this morning.
(NBC)- President Donald Trump met with top business leaders in Qatar this morning, highlighting a surge in U.S. economic momentum and securing major international investments before visiting American troops at the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East.
“I can tell you that our country is hot. It’s hot as a pistol,” President Trump told attendees during the meeting, touting what the White House describes as a booming U.S. economy.
The dual stops—one economic, one military—emphasized the strategic importance of Qatar, even as Trump continues to criticize the Gulf nation over its alleged ties to Hamas.
On Wednesday, a landmark deal was announced: Qatar will purchase up to 210 Boeing jets from the U.S.—a record-breaking sale that’s part of a broader $243 billion investment package from Qatar into the American economy, according to the White House.
“We have the best equipment anywhere in the world,” Trump said. “You’re buying a lot of that equipment, actually.”
However, the visit was not without controversy. Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, addressed criticism surrounding Qatar’s gifting of a luxury jet to serve as a future Air Force One.
“This is a very simple government-to-government dealing,” he said. The aircraft is expected to be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library at the end of his term.
But lawmakers from both parties have expressed concern over the optics and legality of accepting a foreign gift worth $400 million.
“I can think of a lot of other things Qatar could do for us,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO). “Like, for example, quit harboring Islamic jihadist terrorists who are trying to kill Americans.”
President Trump is now en route to the United Arab Emirates, the final leg of his Middle Eastern tour, which has included efforts to push Iran toward a new nuclear agreement.
In a potentially significant development, a top advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Shamkhani, told NBC’s Richard Engel that Iran is open to committing never to pursue nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of crippling sanctions.
“Yes, we are ready,” Shamkhani said.
Meanwhile, several of Trump’s senior aides have traveled to Turkey for direct peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, part of a renewed push to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
