ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — President Donald Trump recently took the opportunity to engage with reporters during a 20-minute Q&A session while traveling from Las Vegas to Florida aboard Air Force One. His remarks spanned a range of topics, from the aesthetics of the presidential aircraft to the status of TikTok, and even his thoughts on Greenland and Canada.
The president briefly visited the press area of the plane on Saturday night and noted that he would be staying at his Doral golf resort until Monday, though he claimed his schedule would keep him too preoccupied to play golf. Trump expressed his belief that reporters now have significantly more access compared to the previous administration under Joe Biden, humorously suggesting the difference could be “like 5,000%.” He emphasized his willingness to take more questions, describing Air Force One as a “special plane” while also mentioning that it hasn’t changed drastically since his last time in office. He confirmed his intentions to alter the aircraft’s color scheme, stating, “We want power blue, not baby blue,” and added that it’s a matter of timing for such a change.
Among the key points discussed, Trump talked about the future of TikTok, revealing that he is in conversations with potential investors interested in purchasing the app, which may face a U.S. ban if it is not divested from its Chinese parent company. “Numerous people are talking to me,” he noted, indicating that he expects to make a decision in the coming month. Although he denied having discussions with Oracle regarding a potential acquisition of TikTok, he acknowledged Oracle’s co-founder, Larry Ellison, as a friend who resides nearby his Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump assured that multiple potential buyers are showing interest, and he expressed his hope that a sale would be beneficial for the United States, saying, “I’d only do it if the United States benefits.” He shared a personal sentiment toward TikTok, as he believed it had positively affected his appeal to younger voters in the recent election.
On the topic of federal workers, Trump expressed his concerns about remote work that gained traction during the pandemic. He strongly advocated for federal employees to return to the office, asserting, “You have to go to your office and you have to work. Otherwise, you’re not going to have a job.” He downplayed any fears about the exodus of current federal workers and the challenge of finding replacements, stating that the talent pool remains abundant, even suggesting that the current workforce is larger than necessary.
Further, Trump reiterated his interest in acquiring Greenland, despite Denmark’s firm stance that the territory is not for sale. He framed the acquisition as a matter of global freedom, stating, “It has nothing to do with the United States, other than we’re the one that can provide the freedom.” In a related vein, he elaborated on his recent comments about Canada potentially becoming a state, sharing that he has a fondness for Canada and its people but criticized the trade dynamics, claiming the U.S. loses substantial amounts annually due to trade deficits. “I don’t want to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on supporting the country unless that country is a state,” he insisted. He posited that if Canada were to join the U.S., citizens would experience lower taxes and heightened security. “I view it as, honestly, a country that should be a state,” he concluded, outlining the benefits he believes would arise from such a change.
