can the president use air force one for personal use?

… Sitting presidents have been flying for less than a century. Obama faced many of the same questions, particularly after he traveled with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Air Force in 2016 to a joint campaign appearance. Bush took 89 missions and 259 sorties in … That’s where the accounting begins to get opaque. Trump's campaign reimburses the government for a portion of the travel but in a mystery that has frustrated watchdog groups for decades, there is secrecy around how the White House accounts for Air Force One and other travel expenses. . He does as little law as he can get away with while now doing full time writing for Political Flare. Still, the issue has drawn renewed scrutiny because some of Trump's official events mirror the atmospherics of his campaign events, highlighting the difficulty of drawing clear lines. Those costs are … He is an oil guy and will pillage the Earth to extract it and put it in the air to heat up the planet. According to an older Vanity Fair article, the couple found a quick workaround: “Ms. Judicial Watch President Tim Fitton is outraged by President Obama’s blatant disregard for the American people and their hard-earned tax dollars that he carelessly wastes on endless vacationing and unnecessary travel. No doubt, Trump is Trump is Trump, and he is the one most accountable, most loathable, and most responsible for all we’ve had to go through. President Obama isn’t using Air Force One as his personal taxi to head down to the ranch like George W. Bush did. Strictly speaking, Air Force One is the radio call sign adopted by any Air Force plane while the president is aboard. A source familiar with the accounting for Air Force One who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal details noted that most aspects of the president's travel remain a tightly held secret for security. About half of Trump’s trips in 2018 included at least some political activity, compared to roughly a third for Obama in 2010. On Jan. 11, 1943, in the midst of World War II, FDR boarded a prop-propelled Pan Am Dixie Clipper for a secret trip to Casablanca and a meeting with Winston Churchill. The lack of clarity around exactly how much a campaign reimburses taxpayers for trips has vexed those studying the issue for decades. He or she must travel on Air Force One, which includes Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Secret Service Protection. Michael Glassner, the chief operating officer for the Trump campaign, said only that “we comply with all Treasury protocol and FEC regulations.”. As the presidential plane approached the small airport where Trump would speak, audio of air traffic controllers clearing it to land was piped through speakers. No. Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.) said Thursday morning that President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are using Air Force One and other official aircraft as their "personal toys." He is a man who ran Exxon, which is bigger than half the countries on Earth in terms of wealth and power. Then-White House spokesman Josh Earnest responded at the time with an answer that is strikingly similar to how Trump aides explain the travel. But 13 members of the news media, known as the protective press pool, also take seats on Air Force One, representing the worlds of wire services, print … "There is opacity in the way the White House designates an event as 'political' versus 'official,'" the California Democrat wrote. WASHINGTON – Before they saw President Donald Trump, the thousands of supporters who attended his rally earlier this month in Pennsylvania first saw a symbol of the presidency: the iconic blue-and-white jet instantly recognizable as Air Force One. One of the most impressive is its unlimited range. Beginning late last year, the Trump campaign added a $1,006,954 debt to the government for what it described as estimated travel expenses. often requested to travel on Air Force planes when it was not appropriate. The president is allowed to travel on Air Force One to campaign events — actually, he's required to do so and doesn't have the option of flying commercial. He made a similar trip in early May, touring damage wrought by Hurricane Michael in Florida last year – an official event – before speaking at a rally in Panama City Beach. No he doesn't. Air Force One is the call sign used describe any aircraft carrying the US President, so in theory Air Force One could be any type of aircraft. Rex Tillerson is no liberal hero in any sense of the word. Neither Trump, nor his predecessors, have disclosed how officials determine what portion of a trip is “political.” The White House doesn’t release the cost of individual trips. A VC-25A can also be refueled in mid-air by a tanker, extending its range even further. That assertion is backed up by the fact that the Democratic Party continued to reimburse the government for hundreds of thousands of dollars in Air Force One expenses held over from Obama well into Trump's first year in office. In common parlance, however, the call sign has become identified with specific aircraft reserved for use by the president for travel within the United States or abroad. "The Obama administration follows all the rules and regulations about paying for political travel that previous administrations, both Democratic and Republican, have followed," Earnest said at the time. However, the actual Air Force One does not have an escape pod or parachutes for emergency use. Hey, it’s not like Mnuchin had anything better to do! ", Trump's Japan trip: Blasts Biden, Dems, Mueller while bringing politics to world stage, 'Wasted airtime':Trump blasts Fox News for Pete Buttigieg town hall. A few of Trump's asides planned carefully for weeks to keep the trip surrounded in secrecy so details wouldn't be leaked. from the University of California. To put Obama’s use of Air Force One into context, we also asked for travel data for his predecessor, President George W. Bush. 0. Can the president use Air Force One for personal use? © 2021 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. The U.S. Air Force announced that it will continue the Boeing tradition with the 747-8, which will replace the two 747-200s that serve as the presidential Air Force One fleet.. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, chairwoman of the House Administration Committee, raised the de Blasio video in a May 21 letter to the White House in which she requested more documentation on how the president's aides are deciding which trips to reimburse. Trump and Mr. Kushner wanted to control who could travel on trips funded by the State Department,” and that the couple, who apparently view Air Force One as their own personal plane, had a handy work-around in place for when they didn’t get their way: Ms. Trump . by admin February 12, 2017, 4:54 am 0 Comments. The use of Air Force One for campaigning — in addition to official government business — has not been uncommon among U.S. presidents. Even for a purely political trip, a presidential campaign doesn’t reimburse the government for the cost of operating Air Force One, which the Pentagon pegs at $165,000 per hour. A former FEC lawyer, Noti said the law about who pays for what is "very murky," and "more clarity in this area would be helpful.". When Rex W. Tillerson, the former secretary of state, would deny the requests, the couple would invite along a Cabinet secretary, often Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, to get access to a plane. From Presidents Roosevelt to Trump, Boeing airplanes have transported U.S. presidents around the world. Air Force One (abgekürzt AFO oder AF-1) ist das Rufzeichen desjenigen Flugzeuges der US Air Force (USAF), in dem sich der Präsident der Vereinigten Staaten aktuell befindet. Amazingly, over the last four years, as we got to know Donald Trump and the entire Trump family, we realized that there was just as much to loathe about the spawn as there was about the main guy. COMMENT POLICY: We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, hard-core profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Air Force general officers salute the President of the U.S. as he departs April 20, 2016, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He will forever remain the worst. The amount of money spent on a trip can be used to determine the level of effort that goes into planning the president's travel, which can offer clues about sensitive security details. A 2012 report from the non-partisan Congressional Research Service found that, since then, "the travel policies of specific administrations concerning the reimbursement of expenses for unofficial travel generally are not publicly available.". A Wyden aide said the senator’s office never received a response. "We usually don't get a full picture of what that cost is. © 2021 PoliticalFlare.com. As with previous presidents, taxpayers pay for what is considered the official business of White House travel, which often involves policy pronouncements, bill signings and speeches. When those numbers were included, Trump appeared to be paying more for travel. "Why is President Obama allowed to use Air Force One on the campaign trail with Crooked Hillary? But on one tank of fuel, which is about 53,000 gallons, the aircraft can fly from Washington D.C. to Tokyo, Japan without refuel; thats 6,735 nautical miles! President Trump has reportedly flown on Air Force One for at least 10 trips involving some political activity after slamming President Obama for using the plane to campaign, according to a Want news from USA TODAY on WhatsApp? But a Trump campaign official speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal accounting, said there is often a significant lag between when an Air Force One flight occurs and when the campaign receives a bill. After landing in the state, the president took part in a “roundtable with supporters” and then spoke to a lunch fundraiser for his campaign and the Republican National Committee. The Boeing 747-200B has impressive capabilities, no doubt about that. Incumbency is a big advantage for any politician seeking re-election, especially presidents. Asked by USA TODAY to reveal how much the campaign reimbursed the government for travel expenses incurred duringa single rally to Missoula, Montana, last fall, a Trump campaign official said they would need to look into it. Share Tweet Subscribe Pinterest. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment! Originally Answered: Can the president bring personal friends on Air Force One? The White House on Tuesday defended using Air Force One for presidential travel to political events. It has four engines and is a successor to the Boeing 707, which President Dwight Eisenhower added to the fleet in ’58. The president this month used his office on board the plane to tape a 30-second video blasting New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s decision to seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, a move that drew criticism from watchdog groups. Most people do not know that when the President or his family use Air Force One for something other than official business, they must pay the government an amount equivalent to the cost of a … For last year's midterm, by contrast, the Trump campaign sent the U.S. Treasury $211,000for flights and other travel expenses. However, only the Air Force and Marine Corps actively maintain aircraft for the Commander-in-Chief, and as of January 13, 2021, the President has flown in neither a Coast Guard nor Space Force aircraft. "If you like high taxes and you like crime, you can vote for him," Trump said as he flew to New York for fundraisers. The Pentagon's hourly estimate, used for internal government accounting, frequently changes. Peace, y’all White House officials under both Trump and Obama largely dismissed specific questions about how they account for presidential travel. “The White House’s calculation of travel expenses can be especially challenging when the president travels to what is intended as an official event, but then engages in impromptu partisan activity,” Wyden wrote. Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails. I am so sick and tired of enduring the stupidity of these constant suggestions that President Obama is not entitled to any and every benefit, advantage and perk of the office of the president of the United States that every other President before him has had -- including using Air Force One during his campaign for re-election. Being the President of the United States of America would be a lot of work but it surely must be a “worth it” with the privileges that come with the title of the Most Powerful Person in the human world. While taxpayers pick up the tab for personal and official use, campaigns and parties are supposed to reimburse the government for political use of the plane – at an estimated cost of more than $140,000 an hour. Air Force One is shown as being equipped with a one-person escape pod and parachutes for emergency use by the president of the United States in at least five films: Escape from New York, Air Force One, White House Down, Bermuda Tentacles, and Big Game. It is typical – and wonderful – to hear that he had exactly no problem denying the requests, not the least bit worried it might bother Trump. As president, Trump revels in breaking rules and upending political norms, and his travel on Air Force One is no exception. The president's campaign or political parties are required to reimburse the government for the "political" aspects of a visit. "The public has very little insight into whether and by what magnitude the American taxpayer is subsidizing the president's campaign activities.". At least 10 trips involved some political activity, from a fundraiser tacked on to an otherwise official trip, to rallies in Texas,Michigan,Wisconsin, Florida and Pennsylvania. Click this link on your mobile device to get started, Blasts Biden, Dems, Mueller while bringing politics to world stage, Trump blasts Fox News for Pete Buttigieg town hall, Government Accountability Office report in January, 2012 report from the non-partisan Congressional Research Service, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. By subscribing, you agree to receive emails from PoliticalFlare.com and that you've read and agree to our, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump Reportedly Thought of Air Force One as Their Own Personal Jet Service, GOP Rep. Says Impeaching Trump Will Do More Damage than the Capitol Riots, Is GOP Rep. Pete Sessions a Co-Conspirator to the Riots? Jason From the Obama family’s first flight without Air Force One, it would appear they’re going to travel as lavishly as possible. Designed & Developed by Precision Creations. The Name Was Established To Avoid Confusion. A Government Accountability Office report in January estimated the cost of four flights to Florida in 2017 at $4.4 million, which would put the hourly rate at about $275,000. Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, asserted that the administration funds the official portion of trips and that the “appropriate political committee funds their portion of the president’s political travel.” That, essentially, is a restatement of FEC regulations. Why do incumbent presidents get to take Air Force One on campaign trips and who foots the bill? Although many different types of planes have been used as Air Force One, the current planes in operation are both Boeing 747-200 aircraft. Click this link on your mobile device to get started. Okay, here we go again! "A secret number. Former presidents have often called travel on a luxurious fleet of aircraft one of the great perks of the presidency. Trump made roughly 100 trips to states outside of Washington in 2018, his first midterm election year as president, according to a USA TODAY analysis. In the first three months of 2019, the campaign paid down $638,264 of that balance. Getty Images | Leon Neal. This is really getting sad. President Trump also uses Air Force One to go to War Zones, where he will visit American troops stationed there as a means of encouragement or appreciation. The presidential jet is also slightly faster with a range of about 6,800 nautical miles compared to 4,100 for a 757. The official said the Trump campaign sought to address that lag – and the inevitable comparisons to Obama – by estimating the amount it would ultimately pay for Air Force One and other travel expenses and including that number as a debt on FEC reports. Thus Air Force One, Army One, Coast Guard One, Marine One, Navy One, and Space Force One. With the help of aerial refueling, Air Force One theoretically can traverse the entire globe. Such trips are not unique to Trump. One of the most vocal critics of that flight: Donald Trump. "That is a magic number," said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, which probed the cost of Air Force One travel during the Obama administration. Brendan Doherty, a professor of political science at the US Nav… He signed two executive orders intended to give the White House more control over pipelines and to speed environmental reviews. "Who pays?". Trump's trip to Pennsylvania was only the latest example in which he has relied on Air Force One for campaigning, raising long-standing questions about how taxpayer money is allocated for political travel. ", Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook, Matthew Sobocinski. God, one almost wonders if she just flirts with him enough that he agrees to do it. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. That pace was roughly equivalent with Obama’s travel in 2010. In 2010, an entity affiliated with the Democratic National Committee reimbursed the government for more than $700,000 for Obama's travel. “The Obamas’ travel is out of control. "Taxpayers are paying a fortune for the use of Air Force One on the campaign trail by President Obama and Crooked Hillary," Trump tweeted. [email protected] and on Twitter @JasonMiciak. "A total disgrace!". Naval Academy and an expert on presidential travel and fundraising. At a Georgia event last month focused on opioids, Trump took the stage to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” just as he does for his campaign rallies. Reimburse the government for more than $ 700,000 for Obama 's travel to Trump. Beginning late last year, the couple found a quick workaround: “.. 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