A Gift to the Trump Administration Raises Concerns - Part 2

It's Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm deell you easy Boston's new video.

All right, it is thank for miss Dan Watkins. It's I got eleven o eight. I hope I'm pretty close on that one. We're talking about Donald Trump's airplane. Uh yeah, he he says that he might accept an airplane. Nothing's finally yet, But I just think it's a fascinating issue and a fascinating topic. It's also an issue in which

I'm all right, Dan, I got a little bit of a different spin on that.

Excellent.

I don't know if that's an air bus or uh Boeing plane. I think was Obama or Biden had already ordered like replacements for Air Force one and I think Trump canceled that order in his first term. I'm not sure.

No, I don't think so. I think that I think that the replacements.

Had been ordered the the the Air Force, the Air Force ones that currently are in use, and apparently both of them have periodic need to get in the shop and get taken care of date back to President Reagan, so they're inaccessive.

I was pretty sure they one of the presidents had some on order and somebody canceled them because I.

Think that, and I'm going to stay to be corrected, and I'm going to look it up if if, and correct myself if necessary. But mine standing is that Donald Trump had issued some orders for these planes, and then along came COVID, and I think that the planes. In a matter of fact, let me see if I can find this information and we can share it right here.

Yeah. Yeah, anyways, Really, what I wanted to bring up was is that they just can't buy one plane there. I believe they've got to have three, so they don't deal with one. They've got three out there on the tarmac, and when whoever's coming out to go, it's what's behind door number one or number two or number three? They don't.

Okay, let me if I can, Jerry, I've just found that this is in the Washington Post, and I think I think I'm correct, but I'd like to read it to you. During Trump's first term, which would have been between twenty seventeen and twenty twenty one, Boeing agreed to a fixed price three point nine billion dollar contract to deliver two modified Boeing seven forty seven airliners that would take on the Air Force one Moniker when the president

Yeah, they're very special planes. Years and years ago, I'm I'm going to be seventy five on my next birthday, Okay, But back when I was in college, I used to work with the father of one of the mechanics that was on the on the team, the mechanic team for the Air Force one down there, and he knew that there was three of them, and they never knew which one one they were going to take for security reasons, you know, just in case somebody tried to pull a fast one.

But as a matter of fact, let me just reading from this article in the Washington Post. It says the contract for the new Air Force one jets signed with Boeing during the first Trump administration included a number of requirements that were quote gold plated, the former senior defense official said, noting significant requirements for electrical power, refrigeration units, and in flight medical capabilities. The program also calls for a four engine designed to increase redundancy if there are

Yeah, I remember hearing that that they were going to have extra extra engines on them rather than the two, like the seven thirty sevens and fifty sevens and seven eighty whatever they are. I've lost tract of all their numbers, but they usually hanging one engine on each wing. But I'd heard that they were going to go to a four engines. By the way, I know this is way off, But I wrote a book a couple of years ago, and one of my chapters in my book was my

So you lost Is it a single engine plane?

Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

I got eleven thousand feet. What did you do? Just try to get it over? What you do?

Yeah? Oh yeah, I glided in. I found I slowed up. I usually cruise about one hundred and seventy. If i'd slow up to about one hundred and thirty, that gave me my least amount of fall out of the air. That's a there's a chart in the in the manual, and I used to keep those charts on the ceiling of my plane and just in case I needed them. And I had it there. But I had thirty three minutes with God and and we made it into Mischigan. So but wow, yeah, that's on the west side of

Good for you, Jerry. I'm glad you made it because if you had, you wouldn't have called tonight.

There you go.

Hey, thank you so much, Jerry. Appreciate your time. Appreciate you you you being such a loyal listener out there and call more often. Okay, thank you very much.

Well, I had I just I had a personal tragedy here the first of January. I haven't been able to call. I would have been on some some more of your calls, but I've had a very very rough early start of the year here, and I'm just getting myself straightened out.

Okay, well, long be able to be more.

Yeah, I hope that you know. I'm not going to ask you what your wife?

My wife? Yeah?

How long were you married? A long time?

Forty six forty six years?

Okay, that's a hell of a run.

Yeah, yep, yep. And I'm still having in trouble, but I'm getting out over it. So thank you for being there yourself as well.

Well, we're there with here every Monday through Friday night from me till midnight.

Okay, I've been listening to you for years.

Thanks Jerry, I appreciate it very much. Thank you for a good.

One ever, good evening. Thanks.

Take a quick break. One line six one seven thirty one line six months if nine three one the only line of six months EFN nine three one ten thirty. The other one filled pretty quickly. Coming right back on night side.

You're on night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.

Back we go, we got full lines. Let's keep rolling here. This has been a great topic. Let me go to Rick. Bill, Rick, Rick, you were next on nice side.

Go ahead, Thank you. I would like Jerry to be my pilot. And when the next time I take a plane.

I'll tell you talk about a guy who had ice water in his veins. I would have been screaming and yelling, where's the parachutes?

That's even higher than Sully was in the jumbo jet. But but that that's amazing. What an amazing guy. Holy crap, he's calm, he's calm and cool. So uh yeah. A few calls ago, I think it was Bill was talking about Afghanistan, totally true. What happened. The Biden administration dropped the ball terribly. Yeah, but I don't think that has anything to do with katak H as far as I know.

Four hundred billion brought a million.

That's what I'm meant to say. That's what I'm meant to say. Yeah, that's this is I mean, if Trump's just messing with people and it's really just trying to get people going, fine, maybe Mike is right, maybe there's a plane that's already coming. But uh but yeah, he shouldn't accept it. It doesn't do him any favors for

Did you said Lindsey Graham, Oh.

Yeah, several several Republicans which would be in this situation. Graham, who is as biggest supporter of Donald Trump as anyone, he made some comments as did what Graham said. Air Force one is a symbol of America when it landsa flies, it is American America flying and landing. And I want to make sure that this whole thing is kosher. Time will tell. Now he's sort of on the fence, but you would think that Lindsey Graham would have said, oh, we're with the president totally on this one, and he's

Are they g Are Qatarians? I think? I know?

No, Do I think that that No? Do I think that that there are people in any of those governments who have sympathies, certainly, but I would hope that we could uh talk some sense into those countries, you know, the UAE and UH and Qatar and Cutter uh and say look, you know, uh, you know you got to

I think I think he ought to just maybe he's just playing with people. But no, he's talking about putting in the hole and being able to he's making that golf reference and yeah, being able to walk at the ball. That's ridiculous. You know, we're talking about bad comparison.

This is.

I don't think he should be involved with it. And he had to listen to Lindsey and that uh, this one who said to take a bullet. She's smart. There are cruis that's smart. Just don't do it. Don't be a fool. It really reduces the guy that I voted for. It reduces the Republican you know agenda.

It's a total distraction, total distraction, all right, unnecessary unforced error to keep the sports betafore going.

Thanks, thanks, yeah, exactly, you have a good night.

Thank you you too. Let's keep rolling here. Where we're going to go next to Jim, Hey Jim in Missouri, Hey Jim, next on nightsag right ahead.

Dan Hi thank you for taking my call.

How are you right back at you? How are you doing tonight?

Unhappy?

Thanks?

Good?

So?

Well, three things. Okay. First of all, somebody somebody else said already one of the things that I was going to say, which is that there are several air Force ones. Now exactly how many there are? I don't think anything, right, I don't know.

I think I think it's too But someone said three.

So that's someone maybe knows. Okay, there's more than one. So first of all, that's the first thing. They'd have to donate more than one of them. So okay. First of all, the second thing is has this ever been approved before? If it has, how many times does Congress have to approve something before? You know, if it's never been approved before, Okay, well then then probably it's not going to happen. But the third thing is, and this, this is one thing I want to say for sure.

Fair enough, Thanks Jim, appreciate it. Bye, short, sweet to the point like that. Let me go next two that line of number three. I have no idea who that is Rob. So in the meantime, let me go to Chris down to the Cape, Chris and the Cape next on nightside, Chris, go right ahead, Yeah, Hi, Hi Chris there, I am definitely here. I hope you're there as well. Go right ahead. You're in the air.

Can you hear me?

Yes? I can, Chris. Actually we're having a conversation right now on the air.

Ahead. Yeah, very briefly, going back to Greek mythology, beware of Greek sparing gifts. And that was the Trojan Horse story by Kuhn. And that's all I have to say.

So beware of Katari's bearing gifts. Okay, correct, fair enough?

Watch how could that Trojan horse?

All right, Chris appreciate it, Thank you very much. To the point, thank you, six one seven thirty. Those lines are full. There were two lines open at six one seven nine. Let me go to David in San Francisco. David, let's let's try to stay on track. Right ahead, David, Oh, I.

Was gonna mirror that previous color Trojan Horse? How could Trump be so dumb as to accept the trojan horse. But he did accept a pack of limousines from from fat Tony Salerno when he built his casinos, and those were probably wire tapped so that he could make use of blackmail, uh, tied to his casino.

So yeah, you're.

Kind of you're kind of again going going off in a direction that I know nothing about, and I have no idea who Tony Salerno is. Uh. And so if you like to stay back on what we're talking about tonight, that's great. If not, well we'll bid you do.

Well. It's the guy is pretty damn dumb if you imagine that he would accept a gift that could be wire tapped, could be sabotaged, and it clearly is a conflict of interest with the with the Constitution, he's not supposed to accept emoluments from anybody, much less a kingdom.

I think we've just gone off the rail. So if you have the plank, Rob, I appreciate it. We're going to big David to night. Thank you, David. Let's keep rolling here, love David. But I'll tell you we just cleared a lot of calls. Bob and Rainham. Hey Bob, welcome back. How are you, Hey, Dan?

How's it going.

I'm doing great. Any luck on that thing we talked about off there, I hope.

Not too much. Pretty much what you kind of said, probably what happened. I think I should have struck while the iron was hot. But anyway, okay, you go back and we can talk about it.

Go right ahead.

Thanks.

Uh.

Yeah.

So there's no way President Trump should accept that aircraft. But two things. First of all, Boeing should be embarrassed to tears for where they are with this.

Yeah, talk about a little late here talking about whoa.

Yeah, they should have a press conference tomorrow saying mister President, you know this thing will be moved to the front of the line and you'll have it whatever by a reasonable time, not by whenever. It is two thousand.

Twenty seven. That contract I believe was executed in twenty seventeen for three point nine billion dollars boy, Yeah, I'm going to get my my Boeing stock. I'm not going to be buying any Boeing stock, that's for sure.

Right.

And then the second thing, to save face, I think if he wanted to, you know, do something for the American people with I believe they're you know, a large oil producing country, say hey, I can't accept that playing thanks but no thanks, But how about let's make a deal and fill up my oil reserves that the previous administration emptied on me. I'll tell you this, maybe do something in that.

Yeah, you know, Bob, with the price of oil now around sixty three sixty four dollars, this is probably the time that he should be refilling the oil reserves. I have no idea where US oil reserves are now, but if they need to be refilled, this isn't a bad time.

Well, I think he wanted to do it. And when when they were when it was like thirty bucks a barrel, and they wouldn't let him do it.

Bob, it hasn't been thirty in a while.

Well, I think it was for a period of time during his administration.

Yes, oh yes, yeah, but that's that's now eight years ago. Yeah, absolutely right, But.

He wanted to fill it then, and uh, you know, the Democratic Congress wouldn't allow him to do it for some reason from what I remember. But anyway, I think I think that would be a good resolved for it and show that again he really is for the American people and not for himself. I mean, you know this, this supposedly would save us money if they gave it to us as a gift. But it just isn't right.

Okay, by the way, the last numbers I'm looking at here crude oil and natural gas reserves. Uh, at the last numbers I have from twenty twenty two, and we're in much better shape. We have seven hundred trillion cubic feet of natural gas and we have fifty billion barrels of crude oil as of the end of twenty twenty two. That is up from twenty ten, substantially. Substantially. In twenty

Okay, that's good.

That's actually good news. I haven't seen those numbers in a while, but I was able to pop all up real quickly. Bod keep in touch, keep in touch.

Okay, I thank you.

Okay, you gotta take quick break bottom of the eye with the only line open. Now we got two at six point seven thirty had a variety of viewpoints. Feel free to express whatever you think about this one. It's it's been an amazing conversation, and I'm delighted with all of the viewpoints we've we've heard, and by the way, it hasn't necessarily well. I think Trump's supporters are strongly split on this. Trump critics remain critical of President Trump

It's Night Side with.

Boston's news Radio.

A lot of calls let's keep rolling. You're going to go to Eric in Methuin. Hey Eric, welcome back. How are you tonight?

Good evening, Dan. I'm kind of shocked that I turned into this issue. I'm retired from the Navy now, and I've flown and served in every single one of those countries in the midst except for Iran of course, and I've lived in Bahrain over there. And there's a couple of things. A I'd much rather have Mid East countries offering stuff to us than not offering.

Stuff to us.

Let's look at that point there there are we're going to give the Statue of Liberty back. I mean we took that as a gift. I mean it was that a trojan horse, sue I'd much rather have. I'd much rather have Arab countries having a positive attitude towards us and saying here, we're going to give you something, you know,

Number two.

Air Force one is not even that old that the airplanes that are based out of Andrews right now, those seven forty sevens aren't.

Really that old.

I mean we have.

Yeah, well yeah, that's when they were built, and they actually had to be rebuilt because the original Air Force one seven forty sevens built in the eighties did not have all the shielding and everything for electromagic pulse and all that sort of stuff that happens, so they had to rebuild those airplanes. But we have V fifty two's that are seventy years old that people are still flying right now in the Air Force on the front line. So the planes aren't that old. But no, I will definitely,

And I'm just curious, how safe do you feel as a member of the US military when you're on a US military air base in some of those countries which you know, I always go back to nine to eleven and fifteen of the nineteen hijackers with Saudi.

Right, And I've been in Saudi Arabia when when I went over for Iraqi Freedom, the first base we landed at was Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. As far as being you know, and I know the Kobe Towers happened. I knew somebody an F fifteen PI that was killed in the nineteen ninety six attack at that base. But as far as safe, I mean, our large, probably the largest air base in the world is over there.

And I mean that's good because I've never been to those countries in the Middle East. I have been overseas and a whole bunch of different areas, but never been there. So do you when you're in those countries, do you go off base? And is it a different feel when you're off base, when you're in a city or you know, somewhere that's do you not on a US military base?

Yes, I mean they still have diplomatic areas where more things are allowed than not in the diplomatic areas out in the cities like in Manama City and stuff, and in Dubai and Abu Dhabi as well. But those cities are becoming more and more Asternized and more liberal as far as their culture and what they allow. So they look to the West quite a bit because they you know, they know the oil thing is I mean, we don't get the oil that we We don't rely on them for oil like we did at one point.

So they know they.

Need banking and financing. You're not going to go over there with your funds and put it in their banks. If they're a radical religious government, right, you know, they want you banking in their banks. And like Bahrain, Bahrain and Cutter have both turned into big They want to be like Switzerland. They want you to feel safe about

I believe that that Trump is building for a big golf course, eighteen home golf course, you know, big golf course where they'll have you know, PGA tournaments. I'm sure in guitar Cutter.

You know what amazes me is we don't have enough water in California all the time, but somehow the Mid East you can take the longest shower and the big hotels that are really nice. I've stayed in, have like five shower heads in the showers and there's endless water because they have those desalination plants. Why, I don't know why we can't do that here, but the's off subject.

Frust of all, thank you for your service. Sounds like it's been quite an adventure for you.

It was a ride of a lifetime. I'm sixty five countries. I have skied on a volcano and in so many weird places.

Including.

Including Dubai, you know, in indoors and in Japan, and I've hiked in weird places. And yeah, it was a ride of a lifetime. I've stance retired. I retired three years ago. Dan, Yes, and I.

Put in sounds like you put in twenty four years.

Actually, yeah, twenty four years. And it was it was he it was one hecker ARide. I'll tell you that much.

And I write a book. I write a book.

I have more people to tell me that, and you know, but it was great and I got I just got married last September to a great ballet dancer. And life's never went better.

I gotta tell you.

You get it all. Congratulations on everything, and thank you on everything, and keep calling the show. You're a great call I appreciate it. Eric, Thank you much.

All right, I have a great night.

Dan, thank you too.

All right, good night. Wow, that's so good. That was interesting. All right, let me get real quickly. Here got Matt and Brighton. Gonna get you in Matt before the break, right.

Ahead, all right, hey you there, let's go.

We gotta go.

All right, yeah, no, no, no, absolute gratitude to the service of the last caller.

That's much respect.

I will on the views he expressed, however, I will, you know, disagree. I think guitar or cutter. You know, it's called over in the West during the world. It's not our friend. It's definitely not Israel's friend. They are not part of NATO. They are part of the non military or the non alliance part of NATO. Although so they say they're America's friend through that. But taking a gift of a thirteen year old plane four hundred million dollars, Trump can give it to the Library of Congress, you know,

Right, And again you're a supporter, so I mean it's.

I think it's interesting everything that I I don't understand.

That, but I think those look, there are peat in the audience, like my friend David in San Francisco, who anything that Donald Trump does will be criticized. I mean that Donald Trump, you know, you come up with a proverbial cure for cancer. David would have a problem with it, and I understand that he doesn't like Donald Trump, but you take everything that David says with the grain of salt.

Really has why should he take it?

Why should take it?

What are they doing for us?

Believe I.

Appreciate it.

Appreciated Boddy, talk to you soon. Have a great one. Okay, I got I got enough callers to get through here, but I'm I got a couple of open lines six one, seven, two, five, four, ten thirty six month seven nine, three, one, ten thirty if you want last on this. Should Donald Trump take that plane from Cutter? I think the majority of my folks are saying no. Eric probably was the strongest in support of it. But we've we've had a really good

It's night Side with.

Boston's news Radio, gratified by a lot of different voices tonight as well. Love my regular callers, but I love new callings. I we're going to Dave in New Jersey. Dave, You're next Nightside Welcome.

Yeah.

Otherwise there's the original day from Maryland.

How you being Dan?

I remember Dave from Maryland. Have you moved or you drive?

I'm actually I took a ride here all the way up to Manhattan. So now I'm on my way back home.

From Maryland to Manhattan. Just on joy ride.

D seeds in New York for a substantial amount of money. But anyway, that wasn't a joy ride.

But you're working, you're working ahead of.

Yeah, no, I'm on the way home anyway. Seriously, it's illegal, unconstitutional, very selfish, very narcissistic. I think if Cutter or guitar or whatever you want to call them would cut a check to the United States of America for four hundred billion dollars and they would put it towards this air traffic control debacle, that would be way more efficient than

Yeah.

Well, let me just say this, if you if you knew David, you would know that he he's very predictable, Okay, and so on this situation.

And by the way, there's a possibility, just to give your heads up, that there may be a presidential side trip later this week to Turkey. There's some speculation about that that there may be something in the wind in terms of Ukraine. But again I'm just telling you that there's nothing confirmed on that. What he's doing in the Middle East is important because if he can get these these Arab countries to respect and understand that the enemies of Israel are also at the end of the day,

So.

There's a lot going on here, and I take everything you said as being being well thought out, but I also want to make sure that we got the context of what's going on, and he's just not over there for this per se.

Well, it certainly for the most part, seems like it. And there's all, you know, a lot of greed involved, and again, you know, look at all the problems we have here right now. I think I understand what you're saying with Israel and our Erab so called friends. But remember, I believe this prince was also involved in killing Koshogi was his name from the Wuestion.

I I don't think there's any question about that. I think you're correct on that, absolutely.

That's right.

But then at some point, and I understand the point you're making, at some point do we declare war on Saudi Arabia. I'm more concerned about Saudi Arabia. Arabia fifteen of the nineteen hijackers with Saudi, and we still don't know the truth about nine to eleven, do we No, So I'm just saying you're making good points. I'm supporting some of your points. But at the same time, whatever beef the Saudi government had with Kashow, you're not going

Yeah, and the big picture is that autocrats rule the world and we need to stop that.

Fair enough, fair enough, Okay, gave you a final word. I gotta get John in New York in here as well. Drive carefully, safe trip home.

Okay, Thanks Dave, I appreciate that.

Thank you, come back soon. Let me go to John in New York. John, you get a rabbit for us tonight, Go right ahead.

Yes, Hi, I'm gonna make a cluick.

Good evening, Dan. And I want to say I'm a supporter of Donald Trump, and I think he should not accept it.

That's a big no.

Well, there's a there are a lot of people who are regular callers to this program who I know are favorably inclined toward President Trump, and they support you on that, and a lot of prominent Republicans in Congress, Rain Paul ted Cruz, the Lindsey Graham, John Toon, the Majority Leader, have also made critical comments, as well as Congresswoman Loomer from Colorado, who is his biggest supporter of Donald Trump as there is in the House of Representative. She says.

Here.

Tell me why you say.

No, because it's a suspicious thing in my mind, and I don't trust.

It, you know, Okay, you got it?

And I think, you know, I.

Think when he thinks it through, I think he'll be small enough to realize don't get involved with anything like this.

You know.

Well, I think he might be right, and I think that might be we might see the beginning of that discernment, if you will, by the reaction of people tonight, John, I thank you so much. I got you in late. I promise I'll give you more time next time. And thank you for being sixtinct.

Yeah, and one quick thing, did you know he owned an airline years ago? The Trump Show?

Did he own? Did I know?

He owned one an airline? It was called the Trump Shuttle. He bought it from me an airline.

Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, and that went belly up too all. I got to run, John, Thank you much. Appreciate everyone. To Rob Brooks, great job. Nice to have you back. We'll see you tomorrow night. I'll be on Facebook night Side with Dan Ray in just a couple of minutes. All dogs, all cats, all pets go to heaven. That's why Pal Charlie Rays, who passed fifteen years ago in February, that's where all your pets are who were passed. They loved you and you love them. You'll see them again.