THEAMERICANCONSERVATIVE (Joseph Addington) - Trump Makes First Flight in New Air Force One
State of the Union: The controversial plane was donated to the U.S. by Qatar. The post Trump Makes First Flight in New Air Force One appeared first on The American Conservative .
President Donald Trump flew aboard the newest Air Force One on its maiden voyage Wednesday. The plane, a Boeing 747-8, was donated to the United States by the government of Qatar—a controversial gift that some allege is an attempt to buy influence with the president. Before leaving for the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota, President Trump told reporters that the aircraft is “maybe the greatest commercial plane ever built.” The jet, valued at about $200 million, was accepted from Qatar last year. Although the U.S. government did not pay for the aircraft, the Air Force has spent hundreds of millions retrofitting it with secure communications and additional systems necessary for presidential…Open