Trump Denies 'Ridiculous' Claim He's Using Campaign Funds To Buy New Plane

KEY POINTS

Trump argued that he already owns a plane that he paid for
Trump said his plane is being serviced in Louisiana and will be back in the air by June
A fundraising email was sent out days after a donor plane he was traveling on made an emergency landing

Former President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed reports that he is using campaign funds to buy himself a new plane, calling the story “ridiculous” in a new interview.

Speaking in a phone call with The Hill, Trump said he was not fundraising to buy a new plane. He says he already purchased one using his own money and that it was the same aircraft he used on the 2016 presidential campaign.

“[The story is] ridiculous. ... Can you imagine me using campaign funds for a plane?” Trump said. “I already have a plane, the same one I used on the 2016 campaign. It is owned by me and financed by me, with no debt.”

Trump also clarified that his plane was stored in New York during his presidency and is currently being serviced in Louisiana. The former president expects his plane to be back in the air by June.

The phone interview came after the Trump Save America PAC on March 9 sent out an email titled “Update: Trump Force Once” where the former president touted a “very important update on his plane.” The email also urged potential donors to recall how Trump traveled across the United States in his own “Trump Force One,” a customized Boeing 757, before he was elected president.

"I need to trust that you won't share it with anyone: my team is building a BRAND NEW Trump Force One,” the email read. "The construction of this plane has been under wraps — not even the fake news media knows about it — and I can't wait to unveil it for everyone to see.”

The email contained a link that directed recipients to a fundraising page asking for monthly donations of between $5 to $2,500. However, it does not explicitly ask donors to contribute funding for the plane.

The fundraising email was sent out days after the private jet Trump was traveling on from New Orleans to Florida made an emergency landing due to engine failure over the Gulf of Mexico. The plane, which was owned by a GOP donor, was en-route to Palm Beach, Florida, and had been flying for approximately half an hour before one of the engines failed.

The pilot of the plane returned to the New Orleans airport. Members of the Republican National Committee (RNC) later found another plane to take Trump to Palm Beach.