(Dobbs) Thanks, Mr. President, for Saving Us All That MoneyMaybe if Trump spent a little more time getting smart about the war with Iran and less getting comfortable in his new airplane, our nation would be in better shape than it is.
“This plane was transformed into a flying White House at a level of luxury that nobody has ever seen before.” That’s what Donald Trump told reporters Friday after inspecting his new version of Air Force One. Isn’t that what it’s all about? “A level of luxury that nobody has ever seen before?” No wonder he pumped his fist when he came down the steps. His quote is consistent with his world view. If he’s content, we all should be content. If he’s happy, we all should be happy. If he is going to fly at a level of luxury that nobody has ever seen before, we all should revel in his opulence. That’s the trouble with this selfish man— one of many troubles, actually. He thinks his own pleasure is somehow is good for the nation. Here’s why it’s not. At a time when more than four million Americans have lost their SNAP benefits— SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program— and Trump has butchered the budget of FEMA, leaving many victims of natural disasters high and dry, and roughly a trillion dollars have been cut from Medicaid, and USAid has been all but erased from the face of the earth and some poor souls are dying because of it— Donald Trump is showing off his new jet. He would have you believe it was free, because it was a gift from the Gulf nation of Qatar, kissing off the obvious questions that arise when a foreign country whose fortunes are tied to America’s makes such a gift as if there is no quid pro quo. Last year when the gift was revealed, Trump wrote on his website, “Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done. Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country.” Except it’s not free. The secretary of the Air Force told Congress last year, the price tag for retrofitting an emir’s jet for the president of the United States would be “probably less than $400 million.” Yeah, like Trump’s billion dollar ballroom was only going to cost $200 million. And his retrofitted Reflecting Pool on the National Mall would only cost $1.8 million to clean it up. That cost ballooned to $16 million, and Trump botched it up so badly, the pool still isn’t clean. Last night he said it’ll have to be drained again, then start all over again. Ka-ching. So the retrofitting comes to roughly the cost of a new jet. Then on top of that, since this new 747 is a later model and significantly bigger than its predecessor, it needed a new hanger at Andrews Air Force Base, which had a reported price tag of another $250 million. And, to allow pilots and technicians to get familiar with the new model, the Air Force purchased a similar plane last year from the German airline Lufthansa. And, as a reflection of Donald Trump’s taste, even the seatbelts are decorated with the presidential seal. Heaven only knows what that additional accoutrement cost. Thanks, Mr. President, for saving us all that money. The plane was designed to the president’s taste. Which he thinks is also good for the nation. “Everything was designed good,” he said after getting off the plane. “It was my taste, I will say. I like the color of the American flag, right?” Yeah, except for the gold stripes running the length of the fuselage. But to hear Trump tell it, it’s all for the good of the nation. He told Fox host Sean Hannity that the old 747 just didn’t measure up anymore. “When you land and you see Saudi Arabia and you see UAE and you can see Qatar and you see all these, they have these brand new Boeing 747s, mostly. And you see ours next to it; this is like a totally different plane.” But now the tables have turned. “Now, when we land at airports in London and in Germany and different places, nobody tops this one, and that’s the way we have to have it for our country.” No. That’s the way we have to have it for Donald Trump. Share That’s what Trump is all about. It’s not about us. It’s about him. Always has been. Always will be. Maybe if he spent a little more time getting smart about the war with Iran and less getting settled in his new airplane, our nation would be in better shape than it is. And we’d be in talks to protect us from any Iranian nuclear ambitions. And the Strait of Hormuz would be open. Maybe. Leave a comment © 2026 Greg Dobbs |