Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

ANALYSIS:

Air Force One: Was Trump renegotiating contract or punishing Boeing?

Aug. 25: Obama Departure

Steve Marcus

Air Force One takes off as President Barack Obama departs from McCarran International Airport Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015. Obama gave a keynote address at the National Clean Energy Summit and attended a fundraiser Monday.

To his supporters, President-elect Donald Trump’s Twitter suggestion to cancel the order for the new Air Force One was a sign that Trump planned to cut governmental spending.

But if you didn’t see it that way, you weren’t alone.

CNN’s Jake Tapper tweeted that Trump’s call to tear up the contract came shortly after the Chicago Tribune posted an interview with the CEO of Boeing, Dennis Muilenberg, who expressed support for free trade and noted that the company shipped nearly 200 737s to China last year. Tapper’s tweet led to speculation by the Washington Post and other outlets that Trump, who criticized free trade during the presidential campaign and has called for a 45 percent tariff on Chinese exports, reacted to Muilenberg’s comments by making a statement he knew would hurt Boeing’s stock price. The price fell $2 on Tuesday.

Some congressional lawmakers said that if Trump could renegotiate the contract and get a better deal, great. But members of the congressional delegation from Washington, where Boeing is headquartered, weren’t pleased.

"Replacing the 26-year-old Air Force One aircraft will support good-paying jobs throughout Northwest Washington and is important to ensuring the safety and security of future Presidents. The President-elect's tweet does nothing to change those basic facts,” read a statement from U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, and Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash.

Trump’s tweet was short, but it prompted a flood of fact-checking. The outcome didn’t make Trump look particularly good, considering that he inaccurately suggested Boeing was building a plane (it’s in the design process) and that the cost will cover construction of two planes, not one.

Aerospace industry expert Richard Aboulafia told Seattle’s Morning News that Trump’s take on the issue was “complete madness.”

“It’s actually what it costs to have two airplanes that can survive a nuclear war and transport the president in times of national emergency, and any other time for that matter,” he said.

The Washington Post and others also speculated that Trump’s tweet was the latest indication that he planned to use his private Boeing 757 — the so-called Trump Force One — instead of Air Force One as president. Trump said during the campaign that he planned to make the switch, but those who think he plans to do so and then charge the government to use the plane should be aware that apparently it would require him to upgrade his plane with expensive security features like a missile avoidance system and special shielding from nuclear blasts.

Trump’s plane is outfitted with such luxury appointments as a movie theater, a silk-lined master bedroom and 24-karat gold seatbelt fasteners.

Speaking of protecting Trump, the Air Force One flap came on the same day that some New York congressional delegates revealed they were seeking $35 million in federal funding to reimburse the state for providing security to the president-elect. Several House Democrats sent a letter urging New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo not to pay for extra security that Trump will need in New York after being sworn in. Trump’s wife, Melania, and son, Barron, are expected to continue living in New York City until the boy gets out of school.

"Should the President-Elect choose to maintain two permanent residences for his family, it is reasonable to request he reimburse the city and the state for all additional security expenses from his own significant personal financial resources," said the letter.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy