'Why Can't It Be Revealed?': Jack Reed Demands Answers About Qatari Jet Gift From Pete Hegseth

At a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing this week, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) questioned Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth about the Qatari jet gift.

Transcript

00:00Let me change course a bit.

00:03There's a general understanding that you have taken possession of this Qatari aircraft, the 747.

00:12But there are public reports that Qataris have not yet signed a memorandum of understanding

00:17which would specify that the agreement was initiated by the Trump administration

00:24and Qatar is not responsible for any future transfers of the plane's ownership.

00:30Are you in possession of the Qatari airplane now?

00:33Any specifics about future aircraft that could be Air Force One can't be discussed here.

00:39But there is a conversation about a memorandum of understanding.

00:43A memorandum of understanding remains to be signed, Senator.

00:47You have signed a contract with a company to reconfigure the aircraft.

00:55What is the price of that contract?

00:58That cannot be revealed in this setting.

01:00Why can't it be revealed in this setting?

01:02Well, this is the Appropriations Committee of the United States Senate.

01:05We appropriate the money that you will spend after it's authorized by my committee.

01:10And you cannot tell us how much the contract is for?

01:12You will have that number, Senator.

01:14It just can't be talked about in the public realm.

01:15You want it now.

01:16The contract has been signed, correct?

01:18The contract has been signed?

01:20The memorandum of understanding is not complete.

01:22I'm talking about the contract with the American contractor.

01:26Has it been signed?

01:28It's nothing on that front that I'm aware of is being executed.

01:33Well, that's contrary to what we've all heard.

01:38Second thing, what's the delivery time in the contract?

01:41Again, the delivery time of anything of that sensitive nature is not for public consumption.

01:46Can you tell me the delivery time for the Boeing aircraft that were being prepared for Air Force One?

01:53Was that in the contract?

01:53One of the problems is that the way we actually procure aircraft in this country takes so long.

01:58Oh, yeah.

01:59When it's ordered, it's seven, eight, nine, ten years late, requiring the necessity for a stopgap alternative.

02:05Well, no.

02:07What you've just said is that the Boeing information was public knowledge.

02:12The delivery date, the course, the course of runs.

02:15But this is not.

02:17Because this is not only a bad deal for the American public.

02:21It is just gratifying the president's ego.

02:26That's all it is.