Trump considered 'repainting' private plane to resemble Air Force One, claims book 'Peril'

Ex-US President Donald Trump had considered repainting his private Boeing 757 plane to resemble Air Force One and later fly it across the United States in an attempt to “taunt” his rival Joe Biden, the forthcoming book "Peril" authored by sleuth Bob Woodward and Robert Costa has revealed. The idea of ‘repainting’ his private jet was propelled by the former President to his golfing mates. “I’m thinking of repainting it to red, white, and blue. I like it Air Force One, The way I think Air Force One should look, ” Trump reportedly said in the book during the golfing session. 

Trump said, American people “love that plane,” adding that he doesn’t “do the corporate jet thing. I'm not going to show up in a little Gulfstream like a f*****CEO.” 

Further in the book, a copy for which has been obtained by Insider ahead of release on September 21, it is revealed that Trump had pushed for a makeover request for the Air Force One in the February 2020 budget for the fiscal year 2021, requesting to have the plane “repainted”. The Pentagon budget depicted  $800.9 million for the "VC-25B Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program.” It also involved replacing the Air Force One aircraft with two new, modified Boeing 747-8s, as per the former Trump administration's defense budget request during his tenure.

Trump demanded that Air Force One shall be painted with white on the top half, blue to the bottom third, and a red streak down the middle, which would ”provide the President, staff, and guests with safe and reliable air transportation at the same level of security and communications capability available in the White House.” According to reports, the plane’s light blue and white scheme was designed by former President Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. 

Trump stated USS Gerald R Ford 'just doesn't look right'

Authors for “Peril" have revealed that Trump was fixated with the USS Gerald R. Ford’s aesthetics and design, a US Naval aircraft carrier, and ranted to the military officials that the supercarrier Navy vessel  '"just doesn't look right". "I know aesthetics,” he is reported saying in the book, adding, "Can't you tell?.” The former commander-in-chief also expressed disappointment with the ship’s more than $13 billion maintenance and wanted to revamp vessel’s weapons elevators, the catapults, and the placement of the flight command center, known as the ship's “island.”

"The generals and admirals were horrible businessmen, Trump complained, according to the book, adding that the military “was always being ripped off.” He told military generals, "I know about elevators. If water gets on them, elevators on the ship could malfunction.” He asked officials to  "go to MIT to figure out how this damn thing works,” as he complained about the new system that was designed to work better steam catapults.

Image: AP