Mandela travelled on Trump’s plane in 1990: Who paid for it?

In the past fewer weeks earlier Election Day, podcaster and Fox News contributor George “Tyrus” Murdoch tried to amusement voters a philanthropic broadside of erstwhile President Donald Trump.

Nelson Mandela was “trying to travel to the United States. The US authorities was not helping him. No 1 was helping him,” Murdoch said successful an interrogation with Trump posted October 18 connected X. “You chartered a 727 level for their full trip. … Why is it hard for you to speech astir the things you’ve done?”

Mandela, who died successful 2013, was an anti-apartheid activist who spent 27 years successful situation earlier becoming South Africa’s archetypal Black president successful 1994.

Trump thanked Murdoch for bringing up the story.

“I emotion doing it. I don’t request praise for it. We each similar a definite level of praise, but I conscionable similar helping people,” Trump said. “I assistance a batch of people, and I bask doing it, and I ne'er speech astir it. It’s bully that you bring it up. I besides deliberation it’s not a communicative that the property likes talking astir for me.”

Trump’s run posted the clip connected X, wherever it had much than 3 cardinal views arsenic of October 19. Other societal media users person continued to stock it.

.@PlanetTyrus: Nelson Mandela was trying to travel to the United States. You chartered a level for the full trip. Why is hard for you to speech astir the things you've done?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: I emotion doing it. I don't request praise for it. I conscionable similar helping people. I assistance a batch of… pic.twitter.com/L5aUfXzH2D

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 18, 2024

“In 1990, President Trump chartered a backstage level to get Nelson Mandela to America erstwhile the U.S. authorities wouldn’t help,” 1 October 18 Instagram station said.

The Instagram post’s caption said Trump “doesn’t spell astir bragging astir his bully deeds and charitable donations, but determination are endless specified stories”.

The station was flagged arsenic portion of Meta’s efforts to combat mendacious quality and misinformation connected its News Feed.

Mandela utilized 1 of Trump’s planes to alert wrong the US. But the question was not portion of Trump’s “charitable donations”, arsenic the Instagram station claimed. It was a $130,000 concern transaction.

Trump’s run did not respond to a petition for comment.

Mandela rented 1 of Trump’s planes for $130,000

In June 1990, Mandela travelled to the US connected an 11-day circuit aft his merchandise from prison. Mandela visited the US arsenic portion of a larger satellite circuit seeking fiscal and governmental enactment for his enactment and pressuring countries to proceed sanctions against South Africa’s apartheid government. Mandela’s squad had 4 weeks to organise the tour, The New York Times reported astatine the time. A June 1990 Los Angeles Times nonfiction said Mandela had unsuccessfully tried to find a level aft negotiating with the US authorities and backstage charter companies.

Christine Dolan, who handled Mandela’s question logistics, told the Los Angeles Times that Mandela’s squad contacted Trump asking to rent his backstage jet. Trump said the pitchy was being serviced but helium offered 1 of his Boeing 727 commercialized planes. At the time, Trump owned an airline, Trump Shuttle, that operated flights betwixt New York City, Washington, DC and Boston.

“The Mandela Welcoming Committee is precise thankful to Donald Trump,” Dolan told the Los Angeles Times.

But usage of the level was not free. Mandela’s squad rented a Trump Shuttle level for $130,000, Dolan told the newspaper.

Soon aft its 1989 launch, Trump Shuttle ran into fiscal problems. Trump spent $365m connected 21 planes, hose terminals and equipment, according to The Boston Globe, and besides spent $1m per level to remodel them.

But aft 18 months, The Boston Globe wrote, the institution had mislaid $128m. After missing a $1.1m involvement payment, Trump asked his lenders to defer aboriginal payments, the paper reported. The lenders took power of the business, Time reported, and successful December 1991, they made a woody with USAir to instrumentality implicit Trump Shuttle, The New York Times reported.

“Trump evidently could not donate a plane, but helium was capable to escaped up 1 of the planes from Trump Shuttle,” Dolan told The Atlanta Journal Constitution successful June 1990, referencing Trump Shuttle’s fiscal troubles.

The US authorities supported Mandela successful different ways connected his tour

Although the Los Angeles Times reported that negotiations with the US authorities for a level failed, national and section authorities agencies helped Mandela with US question logistics. The State Department besides provided information for Mandela, The New York Times reported.

“Although Mr. Mandela and his wife, Winnie, are visiting the United States arsenic backstage citizens, the U.S. authorities is picking up portion of the tab,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported successful June 1990.
The US authorities provided a subject pitchy to transport a bulletproof limousine from Washington, DC, to Boston, the paper said.

In New York City, the constabulary section built a bullet- and rocket-resistant parade vehicle, a June 20, 1990, a CBS News study said. About 12,000 constabulary officers were connected work the time of Mandela’s sojourn to New York City, which outgo $2m successful overtime that the US State Department paid, CBS News said.

A State Department authoritative travelled with Mandela during his US tour, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Nelson Mandela addresses the assemblage astatine John F. Kennedy International Airport aft arriving successful New York, June 20, 1990 [Charles Rex Arbogast/AP]

Our ruling

An Instagram station said that arsenic portion of his “charitable donations”, successful 1990 Trump “chartered a backstage level to get Nelson Mandela to America erstwhile the U.S. authorities wouldn’t help”.

Mandela utilized 1 of Trump Shuttle’s Boeing 727 planes to question wrong the US during his 11-day circuit successful June 1990. But Mandela’s squad paid Trump $130,000 for usage of the plane; it was not a gift.

Although the US authorities did not supply Mandela a level for his US travel, it paid for his information and utilized a subject level to transport a bulletproof limousine crossed states.

We complaint it False.

PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.