Donald Trump recently addressed an intriguing moment from his past involving the late Nelson Mandela during an interview on the OutKick streaming platform. In 1990, Mandela, the iconic South African leader, visited the United States, and Trump was reportedly involved in flying him and a group of 80 others to the U.S.
During the interview, Fox News contributor George “Tyrus” Murdoch highlighted this event, stating, “The United States government wasn’t helping him. No one was helping him.” Murdoch then praised Trump for chartering a 727 plane for Mandela’s trip, questioning why such acts of kindness are not more widely recognized. In response, Trump stated, “I just like helping people. I help a lot of people, and I enjoy doing it, and I never talk about it. It’s nice that you bring it up.”
While Trump did indeed assist with Mandela’s travel, details reveal that it wasn’t entirely free. According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, Trump charged $130,000 to the trip’s organizers for the chartered plane. Mandela visited the U.S. as part of an eight-city tour, arriving in Washington, D.C., on Trump’s plane, which was then used throughout the remainder of the tour.
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Mandela initially inquired about renting Trump’s private jet. However, Trump informed him that the jet was unavailable due to servicing and instead offered a 727 plane from Trump Shuttle. This plane, however, was part of an airline facing financial difficulties; Trump had already put the airline up for sale and was on the verge of losing control of it to the banks.
Further clarification from The Washington Post’s Glenn Kessler suggested that Trump did not lend his personal jet for the journey. Instead, he charged Mandela to use one of his unused planes, reflecting the financial strains on Trump Shuttle at that time.
Throughout the interview, Murdoch expressed his admiration for Trump, saying, “I’m voting for you now because of the man you are, not because of the policies, because not every American will get the opportunity that I had to [see] who you were backstage.” Trump, in turn, conveyed a sense of humility, stating, “I get it. You’re humble. Because you’re a father first.”
