Donald Trump would ‘absolutely’ change Air Force One’s colors to his preferred dark blue and red scheme, according to a new report on Tuesday, even if it would have a dangerous side effect on the presidential plane.
A former White House official told Politico that ‘absolutely; 100 percent’ that Trump would change the plane’s light blue and white color design to the one that mimics his private plane Trump Force One.
Trump made much fanfare of his plan to change the colors of the iconic presidential plane to ones that he preferred.
The government, during his administration, contracted with Boeing for two new 747-8s to replace the existing presidential aircraft. Then-President Trump bragged about his negotiating skills with company, saying that he said saved taxpayers money.
And he was so proud of his plan he kept a model of the new Air Force One – painted dark blue, deep red, and pure white – on the coffee table in the Oval Office where it popped up in numerous photographs during his administration.
He later took it with him when he left the White House and displayed it at his Palm Beach home, Mar-a-Lago.
Then-President Trump with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seen with Trump’s design for Air Force One – in the Oval Office in June 2019
But when Joe Biden became president, he reversed Trump’s plans for the plane and reverted it to its classic light blue and white scheme, colors originally picked by Jackie Kennedy.
Boeing, however, is still working on the two new aircraft, which are on track to be delivered in 2026 and 2027, years late and much over budget.
But the delay means there is time for Trump, if he wins the White House in November, to change the colors on the aircraft back to his preference.
Trump’s original plan for the two planes called for the underside of the plane and its engine area to be painted dark blue.
But that would contribute to excessive temperatures on the plane, which would require the plane to incorporate some modifications to cool some of its components.
And Boeing would have to pay out-of-pocket to make the fix.
The Biden administration said it changed the colors back to the original in order to avoid the problem.
The former official said he expects Trump to change the colors back because of how proud the former president was of the design change.
‘The model was on the coffee table in the Oval Office and he pointed it out many times to foreign and domestic visitors,’ the person told Politico. ‘He thought it represented America more and represented strength, the red, white and blue.’
The model of Donald Trump’s proposed revision of the color scheme of Air Force One that was once in the Oval Office on display on a coffee table in the lobby of Mar-A-Lago
Trump revealed his redesign in 2019.
The new color scheme resembled the color scheme of Trump’s personal Boeing 757, which was dubbed ‘Trump Force One.’
The presidential plane is essentially a flying White House.
It contains classified communication gear to allow the president to be in constant communication with the outside world and features special items like a surgery suite.
Unlike a normal 747, the plane has its own retractable stairways, for the rear entrance and the front entrance. And its own baggage loader so it can be entirely self serviceable if it needs to be.
It also has an in-flight refueling system that gives it the ability to stay up in the air indefinitely.
President Joe Biden changed Trump’s color scheme back to the classic blue and white
Jackie Kennnedy, the first lady at the time, worked with an industrial designer on the look and feel of the jets that the last 11 presidents have flown on
Trump’s personal Boeing 757, dubbed ‘Trump Force One’ has a similar color scheme to what he wants for the new Air Force One
The aircraft hadn’t been upgraded in years, which is what led to the contract with Boeing.
Trump’s deal involved a fixed price of $3.9 billion, leaving Boeing to foot the bill for any design changes or ballooning costs.
Now the program is already more than $2 billion over budget.
Boeing blamed the COVID pandemic and supply-chain issues for the delays along with issues with contractors.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said in 2022 the company should have refused Trump’s terms for building the planes.
