Asked twice this week about whether President Biden would keep the new Air Force One livery unveiled by President Trump, the answer was consistent: it’s too early to think about it.
Will Biden Keep Classic Air Force One Livery?
During an ABC News Oval Office interview in 2019, President Donald Trump unveiled a new Air Force one design, featuring what he called “patriotic” red, white, and blue paint job.
.@ABC EXCLUSIVE: Pres. Trump unveils his new patriotic paint job for Air Force One during one-on-one with @GStephanopoulos. https://t.co/as0f3beUNB pic.twitter.com/nCtOgoQqDh
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 13, 2019
Since George H.W. Bush, the U.S. presidential aircraft has been a modified Boeing 747-200, featuring the same baby blue color scheme as SAM 26000, the modified Boeing 707 first introduced by the Kennedy Administration. That livery was designed under the supervision of First Lady Jackie Kennedy and has served as a symbol of the United States of America for decades.
But Air Force One is due for an update and Boeing is in the midst of retrofitting a pair of 747-8 aircraft to serve as the presidential plane of the next generation. The cost of the new aircraft, which require upgraded fuel tanks and many classified security features, is $3.9 billion.
Trump wanted to put his own mark on the new aircraft by modifying the traditional light blue livery to a new red-white-blue scheme, but now it falls upon President Joe Biden to make that decision.
“The president has not spent a moment thinking about the color scheme of Air Force One”
This week, Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked on Wednesday and again on Friday whether President Biden would revert to the Kennedy-era design for Air Force One. On Wednesday she said she would check, but on Friday she made clear the Biden Administration had far bigger priorities to consider before it thought about the Air Force One livery.
White House press sec. Jen Psaki comments on proposal for “reconsidering the color scheme of Air Force One.”
“I can confirm for you here: the president has not spent a moment thinking about the color scheme of Air Force One.” https://t.co/FIF1vyQRXS pic.twitter.com/r6ZIAXQSP6
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 22, 2021
“We are certainly aware of the White House military units proposal that has been submitted to them about reconsidering the color scheme of Air Force One.”
She also added:
“I can confirm for you here, the president has not spent a moment thinking about the color scheme of Air Force One or anything in the House or any article of anything. And no one is going to submit a decision memo to him on that particular topic.”
CONCLUSION
With far more pressing issues before the desk of the President, any decision on the livery of Air Force One will have to wait. That has not stopped reporters from asking twice about it this week.
Which Air Force One livery do you prefer? Should the plane carrying the President maintain the classic look, adapt the Trump design, or go for a totally new look?
The traditional way looks good, tasteful and and recognizable. The alteration Trump chose looks cheesy.
Personally, I like them both but greatly prefer the older design. The new design still reminds me too much of US Airways.
Are you kidding me? The new scheme is exactly the colors of Trump’s private plane but reversed. His plane the white is on the bottom half with the blue on top and red in the middle. The present Air Force One scheme is nice and familiar and should stay.
EXACTLY THIS. This is Trump’s plane with colors reversed. I would hate it if he left such a lasting mark on the future of America’s presidents’ plane.
Agreed – they both look nice; however, I like the traditional livery better. Plus, it has so much history attached to it so I hope it prevails.
It will. No way it changes to his design.
Current version is iconic and timeless.
The traditional design is classy, non-commercial, understated — a projection of confident soft power that is recognized around the world. It was changed for no good reason beyond ego imprinting.
Gosh the press sure loves Jen. They go easy on her with these softball questions, everyone laughing and smiling. The double standard in the media is undeniable.
Or it could be due to the fact that the very first press conference Spicer called in Jan 2017 was to yell at the press and outright lie without prompting that Trump had the biggest inauguration crowd size despite strong evidence to the contrary.
Do tell, what should the press be asking about? There has been multiple groups who looked into Hunter and have turned up zero evidence that Joe did anything improper there, and not sure what else there actually is at the moment.
Looks like Ben doesn’t know how to use the internet. Or even understand basic concepts the msm screamed about and congress made the focus of Trump’s first non-convicted impeachment.
A quid pro quo is an exchange of goods or services contingent on a favor. Biden has bragged on video that he and Obama would not let Ukraine get the guaranteed loan of a billion dollars unless the prosecutor (who was investigating Hunter’s position in the energy company) was fired.
There’s a rule in Saul Alinsky’s “12 Rules for Radicals” that states this; accuse the opponent of exactly what you are doing.
You know how I KNOW Ben lacks knowledge on searching the internet?
Because if he wanted he could easily go find pictures from that laptop of Hunter with prostitutes. Another with a crack pipe in his mouth and lots of texts talking about sleeping with minors, partying and drug use.
I’m just amazed the msm has been able to keep 50% of the nation COMPLETELY in the dark in regards to open source information. I guess people just prefer the laziness of liking what the msm shoves down their throats and blasts in there. Maybe it’s the repitition of it all they like.
Anyhow. I don’t think it matters. Biden hasn’t even flown on Air Force One how could he even think of the paint scheme for his whip? He’s been using his campaign plane for his travel. Kind of strange for the president don’t you think?
From everything i read half of the country seems to have no problem about what happened at the capitol. This half of the country thinks they are above rules and laws because they are fighting to keep their country and way of life. Just as in antebellum.
Depending on how the other half of the country reacts and behaves there is a lot of trouble in the future.
https://www.reddit.com/r/samharris/comments/l2gyu9/comment/gk6xc14
Politicians from both parties that love their country, and don’t just pretend it, need to really get together and figure out how to get people to compromise. I think the polarizing one up manship the politicians were engaged in the last 25 years has come with huge costs.
One half of the country is already ready for a civil war. Depending on what the other half decides we may be heading into a very dangerous period.
Murdoch has to be most divise POS that has been allowed to run amuk.
Trump’s were forced to lie every time they opened their mouths! That makes for a lot of tension in the room. It started with Sean Spicer’s first briefing when he had to say Trump’s inauguration crowd was the “biggest in history, period!” When, even admitted by Spicer later…that was bullshit!
Well, it sure can look that way when they don’t have to spend their entire time fact checking the bullshit lies that spewed out of the President’s mouth or Twitter feed. When you have a grown up in the White House, it’s less combative.
I didn’t make that post to defend Trump in any way (much less the insurrection or the lies he perpetuated). All I pointed out was the “mood” in the room and the nature of the questions — something none of these liberals who responded disagreed with!
Like I said, the double standard is there.
Total double standard. It’s almost like the new administration DIDN’T cause a deadly insurrection.
Karma, babe, karma.
Not personally attacking journalists and not peddling blatant lies does come with its perks.
Keep the classy look that it currently sports.
I’m with Matthew, the proposed look is too much like U.S. Airways.
I like both but I hope if the design is changed Boeing doesn’t try to get back part of the $1bn + that Trump saved through negotiations on the new fleet.
It looks similar to the Trump 757 color scheme.
There is nothing wrong with the current aircraft. The order should be CX because we as a nation are broke. These planes are hangared and well maintained. Even hand waxed! AF flies 50 year old B-52’s and 60 year old U2’s. President should use 757 for domestic travel as it is more fuel effcient. The final TWA paint scheme sure looked good on 747. Stick some twin globes on it.
Honestly, that’s not a bad point. Not sure it is possible to rescind the deal, but the current AF1 is just fine…
We as a nation are not broke. We lack the willpower to make hard choices, to collect taxes to pay for the things we want. America has all the money to do anything it wants to, people are just unwilling to tax accordingly or say no to spending. Or both.
Capitalism is allowing something to be run most efficiently. It allows for maximization of profit. It does not talk about taxes. Those are Republican talking points that falsely and most self servingly declare that taxes need to be low for capitalism to work.
This economy is flooded with money. Money is not the problem. Companies and rich men won’t wither away if taxes are higher. Maximizing profits and taxing those profits for social welfare are not mutually exclusive in a capitalist society. The Republicans have muddied those waters because at core they are racist. They do not want to pay more taxes for those people.
Lance, we have one of the most progressive federal income tax regimes in world. So how much is enough?
https://time.com/5888024/50-trillion-income-inequality-america/
I vote to keep the current dignified and instantly recognizable livery. The Trump proposed paint scheme reminds me of a cheesy, made-for-TV movie.
I vote to save money.
We are not Republican scum, that Vote to withhold health care but waste money on vanity projects.
My biggest concern is that a change order is a common tactic to milk the government. If Boeing will not waive the change order cost, then the new livery should be used. If the change order, even this far away, is in the millions or even tens of thousands, no deal.
The current powder blue shade has no link to the traditional colors of America. It was just Jackie Kennedy’s choice.
If it’s cheaper to just have white and “United States of America” titles, then that should be the way it is. Military gray isn’t a bad idea either.
The plane is a couple of years away from being completed, so no change order would be necessary, it’s not painted yet. Also, remember that every single other plane in the fleet carries the classic livery. It won’t just be the two 747-8s that will be new, the rest of the fleet – hundreds of 757, 737, Gulfstreams, etc. will also need to updated to the new livery. It’s FAR LESS COSTLY to keep the current.
Iconic. Always. Maybe airlines can rebrand…but Air Force One? Leave it.
The plane is a couple of years away from being completed, so no change order would be necessary, it’s not painted yet. Also, remember that every single other plane in the fleet carries the classic livery. It won’t just be the two 747-8s that will be new, the rest of the fleet – hundreds of 757, 737, Gulfstreams, etc. will also need to updated to the new livery. It’s FAR LESS COSTLY to keep the current.
Most air force VIP planes do not use the powder blue so that color might be the most expensive.
The USAF doesn’t have hundreds of 757s. Also a change order can still be charged even if the planes haven’t been painted.
I much prefer the exterior look of the planes used for Air Force One before Trump had them changed.
My personal preference is the current livery, not that I dislike the proposed livery. The current is classic and by keeping, weaves a thread of tradition through each presidential term since it was introduced in the 60’s.
I think that Biden MUST keep the Air Force One livery that Donald J. Trump has proposed in June 2019 because the current baby blue livery is already outdated and was proposed by John F. Kennedy many years ago so Biden MUST keep the livery that Donald J. Trump has proposed in June 2019 because I really like the new livery and needs to replace the outdated baby blue livery.