Understanding Trump’s Air Force One Political Theater

American Thinker ^ | December 8, 2016 | Thomas Lifson

[Kaslin]

Using the same skill set he employed during the presidential campaign, President-Elect Trump has crafted another public drama around a storyline of his choosing. A highly predictable story arc – a series of subplots that unfold as time passes – is in store for the public.

Trump has done this sort of thing before. And unlike any previous president, he is an incredibly successful impresario/performer in episodic reality television. A substantial fraction of the electorate follows politics at the level of reality television, and Trump knows how to reach them.

His early-morning tweet of December 6 was an attention-grabbing opening scene:

His tweet and subsequent Trump Tower lobby comments about the Air Force One contract ignited a massive amount of coverage and comment. But Act One of the story, as seen by the public Trump is targeting, is that he is criticizing waste in government spending and picking on something that is actually a perk of the presidency. Trump’s use of the word “cancel” in his tweet was his customary dramatic start to a negotiation, letting the other side know that it has to give something in exchange for what it thought it already possessed. While the media nattered over its appropriateness and even legality, the public understood that Trump was calling on Boeing to do better.

The day after his tweet, Trump kept the storyline alive by confirming the commonsense interpretation of what he was up to with the use of the word cancel:

[Salgak]

Drop the Press Corps on AF One entirely. Let them book their own commercial flights, or charter their own jet. . . .

[MNJohnnie]

Yeah that was my gut reaction too. Too much gild on this lily.

This is all part of the “Imperial Presidency” that has been created over the last 40 years. I think the “New Airforce 1” was heard as “the ultimate gilded lily.

Contrast the price tag of a B2, which is designed to penetrate hostile air space and precision strike targets and the USA’s new “AF1”. Hell these new AF1s cost 2/3s the price of an Aircraft carrier!

Does the President of the USA really need a flying luxury liner?

[9YearLurker]

I am not suggesting that he use his own planes, army, etc. But just that he has some basic experience managing such. I saw that documentary about his airplane fleet almost a year ago, and I think it does show something of the type of executive he will be as president.

[greeneyes]

I have also read elsewhere that the Clinton foundation had donations, and the Clintons were paid for speeches around the time that approximately $4 Billion dollar trade deal was brokered with Russia, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia.

Could be even more to his motivations?

[Daniel Ramsey]

I just don’t see the need for a mega plane to haul a POTUS around the world, especially since Obama ruined the whole thing, he ruined Air Force One.

I was satisfied watching Trumps 757 all through the elections though i would never want it to fly outside the CONUS.

I believe a smaller efficient jet is all a POTUS needs, the 787 comes to mind, or a converted C17. Trump won’t fly around the globe apologizing. And i have nothing against Airbus, to be honest i would rather fly an A330 to Hawaii than a cramped bouncy 737. If America believes the POTUS needs the biggest then just build up a pair of A380 Airbus aircraft, Boeing doesn’t have to own America.

[Haiku Guy]

Air Force One is big, glitzy, and seen by the public as the ultimate luxury vehicle for the President of the United States. This is the political effect of the aircraft. Presidents utilize this perception... “I have this big airplane, therefore I am better than you and deserve to rule over you”.

This is completely inappropriate in the United States of America.

The trappings of the office of the President of the United States should be reduced as much as possible. The White House should be seen as a secure location for the President to live and conduct his necessary public business. Air Force One and the Presidential automobile should be secure transportation that the President needs to get where he needs to go. The US government should not be in the business of trying to impress the American people with ostentatious displays of wealth.

There is a reason the Indian Treaty Room in the Old Executive Office Building is seen as an architectural joke. But, these days, the joke is on us.

[xp38]

Forget “Imperial Presidency”. I recall Mark Steyn remarking about the motorcade that 0 had when he did a tour in a bus a while ago. Special Presidential Buses that were partly assembled in Canada IIRC. Anyway he described the motorcade as almost endless and was reaching pharaonic proportions. More like the Pharaonic Presidency in some aspects.

[knittnmom]

...or the media can just use the existing press staff in whatever location. Might give some fresh perspectives.

[Vinnie]

I like the idea of 4 engines on a AF-1.
My vote is for a fully outfitted C-17.

Press Corp? American, United, Jet Blue, ......

[semantic]

I said this back in the summer: every contrived Trump controversy is actually scripted and story-boarded long before it's unveiled to the general public.

Trump purposely makes himself look impulsive by sending many tweets in the middle of the night. Both the style and wording of the messages are not mistakes either.

Some on the left are beginning to realize they are getting trolled. I joked to my wife that it's amazing that some people really seem to think that Trump fires off tweets on a whim.

Actually, he has a small media team that identifies "wedge issues" beforehand, researches the background facts, lays out a controversial position, purposely takes the non-PC side, and then allows the MSM to shoot their load.

What remains is for everyone - mainly the general public - to then be exposed to the truth, and then gently guide them to the obvious conclusion: he's right, the uni-party, media, lobbyists, cronies, etc are wrong.

This article is probably the beginning of what will eventually become a general recognition of what Trump did and is continuing to do with respect to managing the media and his core message(s).

[GnuThere]

Yes, get the entitled press outta there!
Let them choose one alternating reporter and photog to get a joy ride - that’s plenty!

[Georgia Girl 2]

Trump likely knows that the cost of a fully tricked out Air force One should only cost about $800 million.

[Grampa Dave]

"I said this back in the summer: every contrived Trump controversy is actually scripted and story-boarded long before it's unveiled to the general public."

"Trump purposely makes himself look impulsive by sending many tweets in the middle of the night. Both the style and wording of the messages are not mistakes either."

Last year, I started posting the following re my Trump fly fishing for liberals and our fainting/pearl clutchers: Trump reminds us of the ultimate intelligent fly fisher, who knows the waters and his targets. He casts an attractor fly, moves it blatantly around in their home waters. The fly makes them very POed and angry. They lose control and strike his fly in anger.

Then, he sets the hook and brings them in with the fly hooked in their gaping/stupid lips flopping around in full view of the tv cameras.

His attractor fishing fly here was saying that Clinton and her thugs started the Birther story. He knew that they would go insane and attack. Then, we would see documentation that he was correct, Clinton's thugs started the Birther stories!

After landing them for the world to see them with his hook in their gaping/bleeding mouth, he rips his hook out of their lips and lets them go! They go flopping away leaving a blood and scum trail in their home water. Think of Jeb during the primaries.

He does this without paying a nickel for tv ads. Then, he gets great free PR!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onrZsdxa_tg

[Grampa Dave]

Excellent!

[Grampa Dave]

Drop the Press Corps on AF One entirely. Let them book their own commercial flights, or charter their own jet. . . .

Let them read what Trump Tweets or says on Gab.

[itsahoot]

Believe me, i know the actual costs of these aircraft!!

Why do they never mention all the C5's that haul the Limos and support personnel. I can remember when Bush flew into Palm Springs several C5's came with him.

[Salgak]

Waiting for the day when Trump walks away from Twitter to move to Gab.

Of course, I admit to being both a Gab Beta Tester AND an Original Galaxian. . . . (grin)

[ridesthemiles]

I don’t understand the deal about the “New’ Presidential planes.

First off, I do understand hat the latest & very best tech items have to be included in both planes. The President has to be secure.

However-—I don’t understand why it takes 8 years for these planes to be built. During WWII, this country geared up & ws building 13 B-17’s a day, IIRC.

Obama ordered 2 planes that are terribly expensive—which need he very latest & best in electronics—and they won’t be ready for 8 YEARS???

Also-—whee/what is the drop dead point for such electronics to be installed? I don’t think they will go in during the last 2 weeks of construction. So-—who decides when the deadline for the best electronics is reached?

How many seats are used for the Press? Go to using 2 seats only—and call those 2 people ‘The Press Pool’. The rest of them can fly commercial. Or local press people can do the job. The same MSM liars don’t need to be entrenched in the premier seats on AF 1.

Watch Trump carve this down-—waaaay down.

[ridesthemiles]

I don’t understand the deal about the “New’ Presidential planes.

First off, I do understand hat the latest & very best tech items have to be included in both planes. The President has to be secure.

However-—I don’t understand why it takes 8 years for these planes to be built. During WWII, this country geared up & ws building 13 B-17’s a day, IIRC.

Obama ordered 2 planes that are terribly expensive—which need he very latest & best in electronics—and they won’t be ready for 8 YEARS???

Also-—whee/what is the drop dead point for such electronics to be installed? I don’t think they will go in during the last 2 weeks of construction. So-—who decides when the deadline for the best electronics is reached?

How many seats are used for the Press? Go to using 2 seats only—and call those 2 people ‘The Press Pool’. The rest of them can fly commercial. Or local press people can do the job. The same MSM liars don’t need to be entrenched in the premier seats on AF 1.

Watch Trump carve this down-—waaaay down.

[bert]

The technical term is Mission Creep

Once the process begins, there is no end

MilSpec 1503-D58
“To prevent the possibility of poisoning, Kleenex boxes must be fabricated from seamless HDPE with a continuous zipper mechanism that changes color when unzipped. Thus, the contents can’t be removed and replaced with life threatening tissues. The box must be designed to fit within lock rails that can be opened by a person with the key that is used to secure nontamper devices on several other rail secured objects as described in Milspec 1503-D”