Why the "gift" of a plane from Qatar makes no sense
This is from a reader on electoral-vote.com. Trump won't even be able to use the plane as president (unless he installs himself as fuehrer in 2029). The following isn't common knowledge among the public, but you can be sure there are at least a few Congress members who are aware of it.
The proposed Air Force One replacement is more ill-considered than it seems on the surface. I have some experience with military secure communications and considerable experience with high-tech military equipment (legally prohibited from elaborating). It will likely cost far too much and take more time than the current president has in office (unless he becomes king sometime soon).
Consider the Air Force One replacement program. In 2016, then candidate Trump, now Convicted Felon Trump (CFT), said the program to replace the Air Force One fleet was too expensive and should be canceled. In 2018, CFT twisted Boeing's metaphorical arm and got a reduction in the price. Since then, Boeing has scheduled delivery for 2021, then 2022, and the current delivery is scheduled for 2027. Boeing is over $2.5B in the hole on the contract and is likely to lose more before it gets done. Now consider that there is only one contractor in the world with the necessary expertise to refit the Qatar flying palace to be usable as Air Force One, namely... Boeing. It is possible that Boeing may be willing to low-bid the contract to avoid angering CFT, but I doubt it. Air Force One is required to be able to endure radiation from a nearby nuclear explosion and to be secure from electronic surveillance. To meet these requirements, it would be necessary to remove and replace all the electronics with much more expensive systems and remove all the pretty interior to install shielding.
If there isn't a law covering the minimum requirements for Air Force One, there should be, but I suppose it is possible CFT could waive these requirements. Best case, if just the necessary communications equipment were installed, there would be little time between when it was operational and when it would be time to begin the process of decommissioning the plane. This brings up a frightening possibility: There really isn't anyone to stop CFT from transferring the aircraft to his presidential library foundation with the secure communications equipment still installed. Only the Congress, the Secretary of Defense, and the Attorney General have any authority, as the courts have zero say in what CFT does with Air Force One until after noon, Jan 20, 2029. If succeeded by a Republican president, the succeeding president probably wouldn't do much or anything to recover the secure equipment.
The idea of CFT leaving office in a bitter and resentful mood with a plane containing some of the most sensitive secure communications equipment the government owns should be concerning to all. Suppose CFT let representatives of a hostile foreign power, including engineers who are experts on secure communications, visit the plane. Suppose CFT took a trip in the flying palace to a hostile foreign power. The best-case scenario is for CFT to back down and not accept the gift (bribe?). The second-best-case scenario is CFT accepts the gift (bribe?) and the contract negotiations never complete, and no taxpayer dollars go to the project other than having to pay to store and guard it and it transfers to the presidential library foundation unaltered. The second scenario is the best-case scenario for CFT, because the plane will remain in its opulent state and would not suffer from the modifications. After all, he won't be able to use it as president, anyway.
Consider the Air Force One replacement program. In 2016, then candidate Trump, now Convicted Felon Trump (CFT), said the program to replace the Air Force One fleet was too expensive and should be canceled. In 2018, CFT twisted Boeing's metaphorical arm and got a reduction in the price. Since then, Boeing has scheduled delivery for 2021, then 2022, and the current delivery is scheduled for 2027. Boeing is over $2.5B in the hole on the contract and is likely to lose more before it gets done. Now consider that there is only one contractor in the world with the necessary expertise to refit the Qatar flying palace to be usable as Air Force One, namely... Boeing. It is possible that Boeing may be willing to low-bid the contract to avoid angering CFT, but I doubt it. Air Force One is required to be able to endure radiation from a nearby nuclear explosion and to be secure from electronic surveillance. To meet these requirements, it would be necessary to remove and replace all the electronics with much more expensive systems and remove all the pretty interior to install shielding.
If there isn't a law covering the minimum requirements for Air Force One, there should be, but I suppose it is possible CFT could waive these requirements. Best case, if just the necessary communications equipment were installed, there would be little time between when it was operational and when it would be time to begin the process of decommissioning the plane. This brings up a frightening possibility: There really isn't anyone to stop CFT from transferring the aircraft to his presidential library foundation with the secure communications equipment still installed. Only the Congress, the Secretary of Defense, and the Attorney General have any authority, as the courts have zero say in what CFT does with Air Force One until after noon, Jan 20, 2029. If succeeded by a Republican president, the succeeding president probably wouldn't do much or anything to recover the secure equipment.
The idea of CFT leaving office in a bitter and resentful mood with a plane containing some of the most sensitive secure communications equipment the government owns should be concerning to all. Suppose CFT let representatives of a hostile foreign power, including engineers who are experts on secure communications, visit the plane. Suppose CFT took a trip in the flying palace to a hostile foreign power. The best-case scenario is for CFT to back down and not accept the gift (bribe?). The second-best-case scenario is CFT accepts the gift (bribe?) and the contract negotiations never complete, and no taxpayer dollars go to the project other than having to pay to store and guard it and it transfers to the presidential library foundation unaltered. The second scenario is the best-case scenario for CFT, because the plane will remain in its opulent state and would not suffer from the modifications. After all, he won't be able to use it as president, anyway.
