The former president made the remarks while appearing on Fox News
Former President Donald Trump said he knows pilots better than Tom Cruise, as the former president was grilled about the existence of aliens.
Whether Trump knew the A-lister has a pilot’s license or the former president was referring to Cruise’s character in the Top Gun series is up for debate.
Trump made the remarks on Wednesday while appearing on Gutfeld!, a Fox News late-night talk show hosted by Greg Gutfeld. Fox News panelist Kat Timpf presented the former president with the line of questioning on the secretive military base.
“Can I please ask a question, just because I’m never gonna be allowed in a room with a president again?” she said during the president’s appearance. Gutfeld gestured for her to continue.
“Are there aliens at Area 51?” she said.
Trump responded: “I’ll tell you, it’s a funny thing because I think that might be a question that I get more than any question. It is the craziest thing.”
“I don’t think I’m a believer,” Trump continued. “But I have interviewed pilots that look – I like Tom Cruise – but better than Tom Cruise.”
Cruise is a licensed pilot, but one of his most famous roles is as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in Top Gun. It’s unclear if the Republican nominee for president was referring to the fictional fighter pilot or Cruise’s actual flying skills when making the comparison.
The actual pilots told him, Trump recounted, that: “’All I know, sir, is there was a round object that was going four times faster than my F-22,’ which is a very fast plane.” Trump added: “Four or five guys I’ve interviewed, solid people, great pilots for the US Air Force, etcetera, they’ve seen things that they cannot explain.”
Tyrus then asked the former president if he’d be willing to “put tariffs on them” on aliens, if they are real and visit from outer space. Trump replied: “Yes.”