Donald Trump Makes A Cost Estimate That Reflects The ‘Fairy Tale World’ He Lives In

The president appeared grossly out of touch in talking about the price of transportation.
US President Donald Trump speaks during an executive order signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
US President Donald Trump speaks during an executive order signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Bloomberg via Getty Images

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday an airplane flight costs $2 or “nothing” while proposing travel alternatives to the high-speed rail under construction in California. (Watch the video below.)

“We’re gonna start a big investigation on that because it’s — I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said of the over-budget project. “Nobody has ever seen anything like it. The worst overruns that there have ever been in the history of our country. And it wasn’t even necessary. I would have said, ‘You don’t buy it.’ You take an airplane — it costs you $2. It costs you nothing.”

Video continued:

" You take an airplane, it costs you 2 dollars." pic.twitter.com/nLjkuIyD0O

— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) February 4, 2025

While the president was likely exaggerating to make his point, the extent to which he dismissed the high cost of air travel didn’t fly with observers on social media.

“What made up fairy tale world does he live in,” one person wrote on X. “Two dollars to fly. Yeah maybe in the Wright Brothers time.”

“Off by like 2 digits lol,” another chimed in.

The rail, which would eventually link San Francisco and Los Angeles, is now reportedly budgeted at $100 billion more than the $33 billion estimated in 2008 and has become a target for federal fund-slashing. Trump also went after the ambitious project in his first term.

Here are more priceless replies to Trump’s $2 comment:

Bro thinks you can pay for your flight with a fifth of a banana

— TheRipcurl (@ripcurl_the) February 5, 2025

OK, we'll take Air Force One. We're paying for it anyway.

— tellthetruth 🪷🐻🦀🕯️🇺🇦🇬🇪🇸🇩🇬🇱🇨🇦🇲🇽🇺🟧 (@9_tellthetruth) February 5, 2025

No the hell it don’t cost 2 dollars to fly. Americans don’t have the white privileged and money to fly on a private jet like #DonTheCon47.

— Shawn Gilliam #VotingMatters (@JShawnTru07) February 4, 2025

I wish an airplane cost 2 bucks.

— Dougie Sant (@dougiesant) February 4, 2025
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