Donald Trump addresses concerns about new Air Force One after refusing to fly on it for chilling reason
Donald Trump has spoken about the new Air Force One after security concerns prevented him from flying in it for a journey out of Turkey.
It's the plane Trump was gifted by Qatar to replace the airborne transportation of the president of the United States, but for a recent trip the US Secret Service advised Trump to use the old one.
While Trump has denied it was because of security concerns, the New York Times reported that experts had told them the newer Air Force One doesn't have quite as many security features as the old one.
Advised to fly in the older and safer aircraft as a precautionary measure, Trump said he flew in the older Air Force One so the new plane could fly ahead to Mildenhall Air Force Base in the UK and personnel stationed there could take a tour.
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The White House said the US had 'many enemies' and when it comes to the president they 'have their sights on him', claiming they 'use every tool at our disposal including 'distraction and misdirection'.
Trump flew from Turkey to the UK in the older plane, then swapped over to the newer one for his return to the US.
Speaking recently about the new Air Force One, the NYT Trump said the aircraft was going to be improved after he was asked why it doesn't have a missile defence system.
He said: "Well, it has - it has a lot, and you know it has a lot of capability, but as I understand it, in about a month or so, they’re going to send it to have it be maxed out.
"So they’re going to be sending it, and they’ll have it be maxed out. It’ll take about a month."
So if he needs to fly in the near future he'll be doing it on the old Air Force One, and the new one which is going into the shop to be 'maxed out' might finally have the defensive capabilities to put it on par with its predecessors.
Air Force One is the president's plane, but Trump plans to take his new aircraft with him once he's out of the White House and have it for his presidential library which really makes it more of an Air Force Don.
He said that the plane had been a gift from Qatar to him, so it's his rather than for future presidents.
That means whomever succeeds him will still be flying around on the old Air Force One, which sounds like a much safer aircraft that you'd rather be on if you were such a target.
The new Air Force One has been described as a 'bridge' plane as the US government has commissioned two new versions of the president's aircraft for future use.
Topics: US News, Donald Trump
Joe Harker