WASHINGTON — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
President Trump used the art of the deal to save $1.6 billion on a new Air Force One, according to CBS News.
“Over the course of about four weeks, by my saying, I’m not going to do it, I got the price reduced by $1.6 billion for the exact same plane, other than we had a nicer paint job, if you want to know the truth, but for the exact same plane,” Trump said.
The President toured a Boeing airplane at Palm Beach International Airport Saturday. The White House said he wanted to see new technology and hardware.
Air Force One is actually two planes
Air Force One is a modified Boeing 747. Two exist, and both are over 30 years old.
Boeing has the contract for a new Air Force One, but has been late on delivery due to multiple issues within the aerospace giant.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said that Elon Musk is working with the company to help speed the delivery of the new jets. Musk, who financially supported Trump’s 2024 campaign, is now heading the newly established Department of Government Efficiency. This department aims to reduce government size by cutting spending, eliminating agencies, and reducing the federal workforce. Musk’s methods have faced criticism.
President’s Day rally in Seattle: Federal workers stand against Trump administration
“The president wants the airplane sooner, and so we’re working with Elon and the team to figure what we can do to pull up the schedule of that aircraft,” Ortberg told the Business Insider.
The company has reported losses of more than $2 billion on the new Air Force One program.
Trump also wants to change the color scheme of Air Force One from light blue to a darker blue.
Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.
©2025 Cox Media Group
