Trump said that $4 billion was too much for a couple of Boeing 747s in executive configuration to replace the current Air Force One Boeing 747s. If everything goes according to plan, unlike any other recent military procurement project, the planes will be delivered circa 2024.
My friends on Facebook are outraged:
Another blatant lie. [over an article about how it is really only $170 million]
In addition to the distorted picture that Trump paints, it’s the fact that he engages in this type of self-aggrandizing behavior. Obama cancelled helicopter orders during his administration but he did not feel the need to tweet about it to make himself look good. [the “distorted picture” is that government spending on military aircraft tends to be wasteful?]
Obama cancelled orders too. Trump distorts facts and lies and he feels the need to get on Twitter to make himself look good. Not my idea of a grounded leader. Plus now it’s coming out that he was pissed off at Boeing. He really is a 13-year old boy, developmentally.
To avoid being defriended, a middle-aged white guy from Michigan was careful to disclaim any personal support for Trump before commenting with the following:
Forget about AF-1, the beauty of the statement by Trump is that it has provoked a reflexive response of Boeing support among progressives which couldn’t have been larger than had they made the announcement that they’d be withdrawing from bidding any future military contracts. Five minutes ago, Boeing was emblematic of corporate greed; now they’re a beleaguered business just trying to break even.
If Trump can be induced to say he wants to cancel the Navy, they’ll be demanding a 600-ship fleet by next Tuesday.
It bothers me that the President Elect seems able to fit his entire analysis of the program into a tweet. It bothers me that the President Elect even developed an opinion of this relatively small program during his transition; I don’t see how he and his people would have had the time and access to information required to develop an informed opinion. It bothers me that the President Elect seems to be acting as a bully (even of a big corporation like Boeing). That said, I don’t see how one gets to “blatant lie” from the President Elect’s tweet.
So, what are some facts about AirForce One? Asking for a friend… who works for GRU.
Anon: From the point of view of my Hillary-supporting friends, the facts are that this airframe, certified to handle G loads from -1 to 2.5, is going to withstand a “nuclear blast”. Also, it will ensure that the U.S. President, whom they believe to be elected by deplorables to carry out a Hitler-style program, can continue to function after a nuclear war. All of this will be a bargain for well under the $4 billion figure put forward by the Trumpenfuhrer.
Neal. It takes a talent to deliver the essence of an issue in one tweet. If you have doubts in Trump’s analytical skills and ability to uncover government waste and/or corruption, please watch his expert testimony on the UN building renovation costs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx651fvHMPo
philg: Some of this looks like science fiction to me: withstanding a nuclear blast? wouldn’t that totally depend on how close the blast was?
As to the price tag for The Unicorn One, it seems to show the same dynamics as the price of our healthcare. The demand is very inelastic; the government is busy throwing money at the problem until the said problem cannot be seen anymore.
What would happen if the T-Fuhrer placed an order with EADS instead? Would liberal globalization supporters approve? Perhaps they wouldn’t since playing The Opposite game (http://www.pegames.org/warm-up/opposite-game) can get so addictive.
presidentpicker: One thing that I definitely like about Trump is his uncanny ability to articulate major issues. He may do so in a crude way or via an improper channel, he may totally ignore political correctness, but he is often right on target. I can only hope that his administration would solve at least some of those issues.
Remember, the Democrats are building the institutions of government under the assumption that it will be run by them forever. It’s going to be a Democrat riding in that plane. Weaponize the IRS? Why not? Democrats will forever be running the place. Unlawful national security apparatus? Don’t worry, Democrat run. That’s why everyone is Trumpenfurhering and freaking out.
I am a “neverTrumper” regarding the presidency, but his Senate testimony cited by presidentpicker above is impressive. I have managed some large institutional projects and he is spot on about the process. We had a saying that seems trite but covers a lot of his testimony: “If you don’t know what you are doing going into a renovation, you sure as hell will coming out.” That is the gist of his advice to the Senate.
>It takes a talent to deliver the essence of an
>issue in one tweet.
The President Elect gets zero points for pointing out that a government program is “too expensive”. That is obvious and could be said about any program. To get points, he needs to propose a realistic and superior alternative which he did not. Of course, it looks like the purpose of the tweet wasn’t to discuss a government procurement but to intimidate a government contractor who dared to disagree with the President Elect on trade policy.