Qatar Signs 160-Aircraft Boeing Deal — Largest Widebody Order in History; Trump Open to Turkey Trip if Putin Shows; Carolina Furniture Doubles Sales

Multiple historic developments converged in May 2025. Qatar signed an agreement with Boeing to purchase 160 aircraft — the largest widebody aircraft order in the American company’s history. Trump addressed potential peace talks between Putin and Zelensky in Turkey the next day: “If we could end the war, I’d be thinking about that. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it to save a lot of lives. I don’t know that Putin would be there if I’m not there. Marco is going — Marco has been very effective.” Carolina Custom Leather owner Bob Timberlake revealed his company had doubled sales due to tariffs: “It could not have been better for us. We finally, finally, finally are successfully getting furniture back in North Carolina and America.”

Qatar’s Historic Boeing Order

The aircraft signing ceremony marked the largest commercial transaction of Trump’s Middle East trip.

“Now we will see the signing of the agreement of buying aircraft from Boeing,” the master of ceremonies announced.

He identified the signatories: “His Excellency Badr Mohammed Al-Meer will sign from the Qatari side, and Kelly Ortberg will be signing on behalf of Boeing and the United States of America.”

He provided the formal titles: “Boeing Purchase Agreement signed on behalf of the State of Qatar by His Excellency Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, CEO of Qatar Airways Company, and on behalf of the United States, Kelly Ortberg, President CEO of the Boeing Company.”

The 160-aircraft order was the largest widebody aircraft purchase in Boeing’s history. Widebody aircraft — twin-aisle planes like the 777, 787, and 747 — represented the most expensive and technologically sophisticated commercial aviation products. A single 777X aircraft sold for approximately $450 million at list price; 160 widebody aircraft at various configurations could represent over $60 billion in total sales.

For Boeing, the deal was transformative. The company had struggled in recent years with quality problems, regulatory scrutiny, and production delays. A massive new order from Qatar Airways — one of the world’s premier international carriers — provided years of production certainty, billions in revenue, and validation of Boeing’s widebody product line against Airbus competition.

For Qatar Airways, the order positioned the airline as one of the largest and most modern global carriers. Qatar had been expanding aggressively over the past decade, using its state-backed resources to build a competitive position in international air travel. The 160-aircraft order would give Qatar Airways one of the youngest and most capable fleets in the world.

For the American economy, the order translated into decades of manufacturing activity. Each Boeing aircraft involved hundreds of component suppliers across dozens of states. An order of this size would sustain tens of thousands of American manufacturing jobs through 2030s and beyond.

Turkey Peace Talks

Trump addressed the upcoming potential summit in Istanbul.

“What happens on Thursday if President Putin doesn’t show up in Turkey for the talks with Ukraine?” a reporter asked.

Trump was measured: “Well, I don’t know if he’s showing up. I know he would like me to be there, and that’s a possibility.”

He described the tradeoff: “If we could end the war, I’d be thinking about that. Now tomorrow we’re all booked out. You understand that we’re all set.”

He continued: “But if he goes? So we have a very full situation.”

He clarified his flexibility: “Now that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it to save a lot of lives and come back.”

He described the dynamics: “But yeah, I think they’re thinking about something. I don’t know that he would be there if I’m not there.”

He identified the American representative: “We’re going to find out. Marco is going. And Marco has been very effective.”

Trump’s measured response reflected careful diplomatic calibration. Publicly committing to travel to Turkey would put Trump in the position of having the trip potentially wasted if Putin didn’t show. Publicly refusing would eliminate the possibility of a face-to-face meeting that could end the war. By keeping his intentions ambiguous — suggesting he might go, might not — Trump preserved maximum flexibility.

The “Putin wouldn’t be there if I’m not there” comment was a revealing assessment of the psychology of the negotiation. Putin’s calculation about attending the Istanbul talks depended heavily on whether Trump would be present. If Trump attended, Putin would want to attend to ensure the Russian position was represented. If Trump didn’t attend, Putin might conclude that sending a lower-level delegation was sufficient.

The reference to Rubio — “Marco has been very effective” — was important. If Trump didn’t travel personally, Rubio’s attendance would signal that the talks were substantive. Rubio had become one of the administration’s most effective diplomats, handling the India-Pakistan ceasefire, the Syria outreach, the China negotiations, and now potentially the Ukraine-Russia peace talks.

Impeachment Resolution Deflection

Trump addressed Rep. Shri Thanedar’s impeachment resolution.

“I would like to see every Democratic member of Congress to support my impeachment bill — my resolution 353,” Trump said. “I appeal to all members of Congress. But particularly I appeal to all members of the Democratic Party to stand behind the United… stand behind the United States, to oppose and send a message to this Congress, to this president.”

The “impeachment bill” reference was apparently to a Republican resolution, though the details were unclear from the transcript. The broader context was that Trump was challenging Democrats to take concrete votes on policy rather than engaging in symbolic impeachment efforts that had no chance of success.

The Thanedar impeachment resolution — which had no chance of passing the Republican-controlled House — was what Leavitt had called “performative” and what Trump was treating as a joke. Democratic members could introduce whatever impeachment resolutions they wished; without Republican votes, they would go nowhere. The real legislative action was happening on tax cuts, trade deals, and regulatory reform — areas where the administration was actually moving policy forward.

Carolina Furniture Doubles Sales

The segment ended with a concrete example of tariff benefits.

Bob Timberlake, owner of Carolina Custom Leather, described the impact: “We’ve been busy. Really busy actually. It’s good. It’s job security. I love having plenty of work.”

He described the causal mechanism: “Made in America at the market was huge. It was the big thing over there.”

He revealed the scale: “His American home furniture line doubled sales from last year in large part because buyers wanted furniture made in America to avoid tariffs.”

He celebrated the outcome: “The market was just — it could not have been better for us.”

He described the supply chain benefits: “Each piece of furniture made just like this has multiple layers of helping the North Carolina economy. For example, this batting that went in it was made at another factory in Hickory, and that stuffing over in High Point.”

He delivered the emotional climax: “We finally, finally, finally are successfully getting furniture back in North Carolina and America.”

He stated the vision: “It’s going to bring business to America. It’s going to bring industry in America. It’s going to bring jobs to America, and it’s going to make us more successful.”

The Carolina Custom Leather story was the tariff policy working as intended in miniature. A North Carolina furniture company that had competed against cheaper imports for years was now thriving because tariffs had made its products competitively priced. Sales doubled. Jobs multiplied. Suppliers throughout the North Carolina supply chain benefited.

The “finally, finally, finally” triple emphasis captured the emotional weight of the moment. American furniture manufacturers had watched their industry hollowed out over decades as production moved to China, Vietnam, and other low-cost countries. Entire North Carolina communities that had depended on furniture manufacturing had been devastated. Timberlake’s company — like thousands of other American manufacturers — had survived but struggled. The tariff policy was the first meaningful government action in a generation that actually helped American manufacturers compete.

For every Bob Timberlake, there were thousands of American manufacturers experiencing similar effects. Textile mills in the Carolinas. Tool and die shops in the Midwest. Machine shops in Pennsylvania. Steel mills in Ohio. All had watched competitors close while they barely survived against unfair foreign competition. The Trump tariffs were changing the economic calculus for all of them.

Key Takeaways

• Qatar signed historic 160-aircraft Boeing deal — largest widebody aircraft order in Boeing history.
• Trump on Putin-Zelensky Turkey talks: “If Putin shows, I might go to save lives. I don’t know if he’d be there if I’m not.”
• Rubio being sent as U.S. representative: “Marco has been very effective.”
• Carolina Custom Leather owner Bob Timberlake: “We doubled sales. Finally, finally, finally, getting furniture back in North Carolina and America.”
• Tariff policy working in miniature: North Carolina furniture company thriving, supply chain jobs expanding across Hickory and High Point.