US President Donald Trump ’s recent Fox News interview covered a sweeping array of topics, ranging from the success of his Middle East tour in restoring ties with Gulf monarchies, and celebrated record-breaking investment commitments totaling an estimated $2 trillion.
Trump defended accepting a 42-year-old Boeing 747-8 from Qatar as a stopgap for the delayed Air Force One fleet, contended that his sanctions policy on Iran prevented it from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and touted his role in defusing a potential nuclear showdown between India and Pakistan. He also criticised former President Biden’s handling of global affairs, expressed confidence in brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine, and hinted at further foreign trips.
Declaring a ‘major success’ in the Gulf
On wrapping up his three-nation tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 13–15, Trump described the trip as “a major, major success” in strengthening US engagement with the energy-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. He said that the personal friendships with all three leaders, forged long before his presidency, arguing this familiarity translated into unprecedented goodwill. Trump criticized the Biden administration for having “coaxed” these countries towards China, asserting his visit “prevented deeper Chinese influence” in the region.
"They're great people and it's a great region. But it was never treated properly and it was certainly not treated well by Biden, who didn't know he was alive, frankly. So, you know, you can understand that. But he was not. He didn't treat. They didn't treat this group well. And I think they were being. And I guess, you know, because you've reported on it, they were being coaxed very strongly by China because that solves China's fuel problem forever. And it wasn't their preference, but they were on their way. They were going to China and that was going to be their, their parent, and that's not happening," he said.
Trump touted agreements worth over $2 trillion in commercial and defense deals, including a $600 billion investment pledge from Saudi Arabia and $243.5 billion in contracts with Qatar. “We set records. There’s never been a trip like this by any president or anybody ever before,” he boasted. He challenged the Gulf partners to “double it up,” noting their willingness to channel vast energy revenues into the US economy, a point he framed as central to revitalizing American manufacturing and mounting the Iron Dome (or, as he rebranded it, the “Golden Dome”) in the Middle East.
On India-Pakistan ceasefire
Trump also talked about what he called “one of the biggest successes no one ever gives me credit for” calling both Indian and Pakistani leaders by phone and persuading them to “step back from the brink” of a potential nuclear clash, mere hours before his departure for the Gulf. “You had a couple of foreign policy successes,” he told Bret Baier. “You picked up the phone and called two nuclear powers, India and Pakistan, and you got them to step back from the brink.”
"Bigger success than I'll ever be given credit for that. But those are major nuclear powers. Those are not like a little bit. And they were angry. And the next phase was probably. Did you see where it was getting. It was tit for tat. It was getting deeper and more. I mean, more missiles. Every. Everyone was stronger, stronger to a point where the next ones are going to be" he said.
He mentioned the gravity of the situation, noting that “these are major nuclear powers. These are not like a little bit,” and warned that, without de-escalation, “the next phase was probably… you know what the N word is, right?” Trump then lauded his use of trade incentives as a peace-building tool: “I’m using trade to settle scores and to make peace,” he said, pledging to reduce tariffs by “100 per cent” for US exports to India once full calm was restored.
Defending the Qatar Boeing jet gift
Responding to controversy over Qatar’s donation of a 42-year-old Boeing 747-8 to serve temporarily as Air Force One, Trump clarified that the aircraft would belong to the US Air Force, not him personally, and pledged it would be decommissioned like Ronald Reagan’s planes at a future presidential library. He explained that Boeing had fallen “very late” in delivering the new fleet, forcing the need for an interim solution. While acknowledging bipartisan “outcry” and ethical concerns under the Foreign Emoluments Clause, he quipped, “Why wouldn’t I accept the gift? We’re giving to everybody else.” The jet in question, registration P4-HBJ, has been in service with Qatar Amiri Flight since 2012 and is valued at approximately $400 million.
Asserting leverage over Iran’s nuclear ambitions
Turning to Iran, Trump insisted that under his sanctions regime Tehran “had no money” to bankroll proxies like Hamas or Hezbollah and was “stone cold broke” until sanctions relief under President Biden freed up over $300 billion. He claimed a nuclear deal was “close” but warned there was “not plenty of time” to finalize terms before Iran acquires a weapon. He favored a “nonviolent” resolution yet threatened that failure would force the US to consider options analogous to his secondary sanctions on Venezuela, which had crippled that country’s oil exports.
On Russia–Ukraine and a Putin deal
On Ukraine, he lamented President Zelensky’s repeated requests for aid—“he walks out with $100 billion every time”—and criticized the Biden administration for mismanaging the war effort. He professed a personal rapport with Vladimir Putin and declared a “meeting can’t happen without me,” predicting he could secure the peace that eluded other envoys, though he admitted, “He’s not looking good.”
"I think Putin is tired of this whole thing. He's not. And he's not looking good. And he wants to look good. Don't forget, this was supposed to end in one week. And if he didn't get stuck in the mud with his army tanks all over the place, they would have been in Kiev, of Kiev in about five hours," the US president said.
Eyeing further foreign policy engagement
Trump also suggested he was open to more foreign tours, including a potential meeting with China’s Xi Jinping. He framed his hands-on diplomacy as a “very taxing model” but insisted it had “re-emphasized American leadership” abroad. He contrasted this with the Biden presidency, which he characterized as having “weakened” US influence and allowed adversaries to “get stronger.” He pledged: to resolve the twin Middle East crises of Iran and Israel–Hamas, ensuring a “freedom zone” in Gaza and humanitarian relief for starving Palestinians.
Trump defended accepting a 42-year-old Boeing 747-8 from Qatar as a stopgap for the delayed Air Force One fleet, contended that his sanctions policy on Iran prevented it from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and touted his role in defusing a potential nuclear showdown between India and Pakistan. He also criticised former President Biden’s handling of global affairs, expressed confidence in brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine, and hinted at further foreign trips.
Declaring a ‘major success’ in the Gulf
On wrapping up his three-nation tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 13–15, Trump described the trip as “a major, major success” in strengthening US engagement with the energy-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. He said that the personal friendships with all three leaders, forged long before his presidency, arguing this familiarity translated into unprecedented goodwill. Trump criticized the Biden administration for having “coaxed” these countries towards China, asserting his visit “prevented deeper Chinese influence” in the region.
"They're great people and it's a great region. But it was never treated properly and it was certainly not treated well by Biden, who didn't know he was alive, frankly. So, you know, you can understand that. But he was not. He didn't treat. They didn't treat this group well. And I think they were being. And I guess, you know, because you've reported on it, they were being coaxed very strongly by China because that solves China's fuel problem forever. And it wasn't their preference, but they were on their way. They were going to China and that was going to be their, their parent, and that's not happening," he said.
Securing record-breaking Gulf investmentsBAIER: There's a massive amount of business investment coming back to the U.S. ...@POTUS: "That's why I came here... they have a lot of money, and I want them to spend the money in the United States, and we set records. There's never been a trip like this by any president." pic.twitter.com/aSU9U5VRZS
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 16, 2025
Trump touted agreements worth over $2 trillion in commercial and defense deals, including a $600 billion investment pledge from Saudi Arabia and $243.5 billion in contracts with Qatar. “We set records. There’s never been a trip like this by any president or anybody ever before,” he boasted. He challenged the Gulf partners to “double it up,” noting their willingness to channel vast energy revenues into the US economy, a point he framed as central to revitalizing American manufacturing and mounting the Iron Dome (or, as he rebranded it, the “Golden Dome”) in the Middle East.
WATCH IN FULL: @POTUS sits down with @BretBaier in Abu Dhabi for a wide-ranging interview on this week's historic trip to the Middle East, foreign policy, trade, and much more. pic.twitter.com/87aBDO6mfi
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 17, 2025
On India-Pakistan ceasefire
Trump also talked about what he called “one of the biggest successes no one ever gives me credit for” calling both Indian and Pakistani leaders by phone and persuading them to “step back from the brink” of a potential nuclear clash, mere hours before his departure for the Gulf. “You had a couple of foreign policy successes,” he told Bret Baier. “You picked up the phone and called two nuclear powers, India and Pakistan, and you got them to step back from the brink.”
"Bigger success than I'll ever be given credit for that. But those are major nuclear powers. Those are not like a little bit. And they were angry. And the next phase was probably. Did you see where it was getting. It was tit for tat. It was getting deeper and more. I mean, more missiles. Every. Everyone was stronger, stronger to a point where the next ones are going to be" he said.
He mentioned the gravity of the situation, noting that “these are major nuclear powers. These are not like a little bit,” and warned that, without de-escalation, “the next phase was probably… you know what the N word is, right?” Trump then lauded his use of trade incentives as a peace-building tool: “I’m using trade to settle scores and to make peace,” he said, pledging to reduce tariffs by “100 per cent” for US exports to India once full calm was restored.
Defending the Qatar Boeing jet gift
Responding to controversy over Qatar’s donation of a 42-year-old Boeing 747-8 to serve temporarily as Air Force One, Trump clarified that the aircraft would belong to the US Air Force, not him personally, and pledged it would be decommissioned like Ronald Reagan’s planes at a future presidential library. He explained that Boeing had fallen “very late” in delivering the new fleet, forcing the need for an interim solution. While acknowledging bipartisan “outcry” and ethical concerns under the Foreign Emoluments Clause, he quipped, “Why wouldn’t I accept the gift? We’re giving to everybody else.” The jet in question, registration P4-HBJ, has been in service with Qatar Amiri Flight since 2012 and is valued at approximately $400 million.
.@POTUS: This plane's not for me. This goes to the United States Air Force, for whoever is president...but I just want to say it was a Radical Left story...I think the Emir was insulted, actually. He made a gift to help somebody that has helped them. It was so nice as a gesture. pic.twitter.com/AnWmpBrE4Q
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 16, 2025
Asserting leverage over Iran’s nuclear ambitions
Turning to Iran, Trump insisted that under his sanctions regime Tehran “had no money” to bankroll proxies like Hamas or Hezbollah and was “stone cold broke” until sanctions relief under President Biden freed up over $300 billion. He claimed a nuclear deal was “close” but warned there was “not plenty of time” to finalize terms before Iran acquires a weapon. He favored a “nonviolent” resolution yet threatened that failure would force the US to consider options analogous to his secondary sanctions on Venezuela, which had crippled that country’s oil exports.
.@POTUS on Gaza: "People are starving. One of the things that one of the three great leaders that I saw two nights ago said to me, "Please help the people, the Palestinians' ... He said they're starving, and he meant it with his heart... So, I've already started working on that." pic.twitter.com/dz4t3ZEBk6
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 16, 2025
On Russia–Ukraine and a Putin deal
On Ukraine, he lamented President Zelensky’s repeated requests for aid—“he walks out with $100 billion every time”—and criticized the Biden administration for mismanaging the war effort. He professed a personal rapport with Vladimir Putin and declared a “meeting can’t happen without me,” predicting he could secure the peace that eluded other envoys, though he admitted, “He’s not looking good.”
"I think Putin is tired of this whole thing. He's not. And he's not looking good. And he wants to look good. Don't forget, this was supposed to end in one week. And if he didn't get stuck in the mud with his army tanks all over the place, they would have been in Kiev, of Kiev in about five hours," the US president said.
.@POTUS: "I always felt there can't be a meeting without me because I don't think a deal's going to get through... I have a very good relationship with Putin. I think we'll make a deal. We have to get together, and I think we'll probably schedule it." pic.twitter.com/hkfmxD0gKg
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 16, 2025
Eyeing further foreign policy engagement
Trump also suggested he was open to more foreign tours, including a potential meeting with China’s Xi Jinping. He framed his hands-on diplomacy as a “very taxing model” but insisted it had “re-emphasized American leadership” abroad. He contrasted this with the Biden presidency, which he characterized as having “weakened” US influence and allowed adversaries to “get stronger.” He pledged: to resolve the twin Middle East crises of Iran and Israel–Hamas, ensuring a “freedom zone” in Gaza and humanitarian relief for starving Palestinians.
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