The larger point here is that there’s absolutely no need for this extraordinary expense, since two new 747-8s are being prepared for service as the next generation of AF1, and in the meantime the two existing ones are perfectly adequate.
The only reason the Orange Toddler is doing this is because he wants a new toy, and was furious with Boeing when delays meant that the new replacements wouldn’t be delivered until he was out of office. This is nothing less than misappropriation of a billion dollars and a huge fraud against the American taxpayer.
To make matters even worse, the familiar beautiful livery of AF1 dating back to the Kennedy era will be replaced on the former Qatari jet by the ugly paint scheme that Trump has always favoured. The present iconic design was created by famed French designer Raymone Loewy at the behest of Jaqueline Kennedy.
This is not clear. My understanding is that it was officially a gift to the United States. Trump probably does think he personally owns it, along with the $1 billion in taxpayer-funded upgrades, many of which I believe are classified for security reasons, and will undoubtedly try to do so, but it remains to be seen whether he can just take it home with him.
The maximum value of a foreign gift that can be personally accepted by a federal offficial, including the US president, is set by law and is currently $525. Anything worth more than that – and a Boeing 747-8 is probably worth more than $525 – is to be considered a gift to the American people and the property of the US government. If Trump gets away with this it will be his greatest scam ever!
Donnie will probably find some expert to say that the plane is only worth $525 because it’s old and used and has x number of miles on it, or some such baloney as that.
White House planned to start Triumphal Arch work under unrelated contract
The unusual move would allow the administration to bypass a public bidding process, relying on a deal for engineering services already underway at the White House.
The Trump administration planned to start work at the site of the president’s proposed Triumphal Arch by piggybacking on an existing, unrelated contract for engineering services at the White House grounds more than a mile away, emails obtained by The Washington Post show.
The move would allow the administration to bypass a potentially lengthy public bidding process, and experts said it was unusual because the arch site is on National Park Service land across the Potomac River and is not part of the White House complex.
…
Wut?? The Trump regime has bypassed normal oversight processes and is doing something “unusual”? Say it ain’t so! I can only assume that the word “illegal” was not also in there either due to poor reporting or because the process has not yet reached the stage of being actually illegal. Which won’t matter in the least. Trump does more illegal stuff before breakfast than most former presidents have done in their entire terms or, indeed, in their lifetimes.
As I already noted in several other threads, Trump now effectively controls all three branches of government, with little pushback from the Supreme Court (due to the “shadow docket” process, created only for use in emergencies, formerly almost dormant and forgotten, now flexing its Trumpist muscles on super-steroids) and no pushback at all from a totally intimidated Congress.
One thing that Trump’s malevolent self-serving nature has ideally suited him for, I must admit, is the ability to consolidate power and then use that increased power to demolish normal democratic checks and balances in a never-ending cycle where the latter continues to grow the former.
I though of putting this in the “Messages of hope in a dark time” thread. But I think Trump is going ahead with the ballroom regardless of whether it is legal for him to do so. If I am correct there, yesterday’s news does belong in the compendium of horrors.
I’m not sure this is a good move. When the project stalls for whatever reason, and it will, what’s next?
With the old East Wing gone, trump will be able to loudly proclaim it’s Democrat’s intransigence that has stalled his big beautiful project. “Just look at this total pile of wreckage the D’s created”.
And half the USA will buy that BS narrative hook, line, and poisonous lead sinker.
