Biden has nixed Trump's push for a new paint scheme for Air Force One after overheating concerns: report

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Biden has nixed Trump's push for a new paint scheme for Air Force One after overheating concerns: report
President Donald Trump and a model of his proposed changes to Air Force One.Alex Wong/Getty Images
  • The Biden White House has reportedly scrapped Trump's overhaul for the Air Force One.
  • Politico reports that additional costs with the new paint scheme spurred the change.
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President Joe Biden's White House has scrapped former President Donald Trump's proposed overhaul to Air Force One's iconic look due to cost and concerns that the darker colors could overheat parts on the plane, Politico reports.

"The Trump paint scheme is not being considered because it could drive additional engineering, time and cost," an unnamed administration official told Politico.

Politico previously reported that Trump's plan for a dark blue livery could overheat some components. An Air Force official confirmed to the publication that ditching the traditional light blue and white was part of the problem.

"Further analysis concluded darker colors, among other factors, on the underside of the VC-25B aircraft might contribute to temperatures exceeding the current qualification limits of a small number of components," Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said in a statement.

Trump injected himself into talks about the next generation of planes used by future presidents. CEO Dave Calhoun revealed in April that Boeing has already lost $680 million on the project.

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As president, Trump revealed a series of new designs for the plane to ABC's George Stephanopoulos in 2019. Trump later confirmed that the JFK-era color scheme would be replaced by a "red, white, and blue" paint job.

The Biden White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Air Force One is the callsign that any plane the president is aboard becomes, but it often is used as shorthand to refer to the government 747 reserved for the commander-in-chief.

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