Air Force One Also Gets Trump Makeover...Painted in Gold and Stars-and-Stripes Colors

U.S. presidential aircraft Air Force One repainting
Trump has insisted on gold and the Stars and Stripes since his first term
Even the Oval Office turned golden amid his obsession with gold

U.S. President Donald Trump's penchant for gold is now set to be applied to Air Force One, the presidential aircraft.

A view of the US presidential aircraft, Air Force One VC-25B. Reuters Yonhap News

On the 17th (local time), Yonhap News Agency reported, citing Reuters, that "Air Force One VC-25B, along with other high-level dedicated transport aircraft, will be painted in gold and in the colors of the Stars and Stripes - red, white, and navy - to match President Trump's tastes."

According to Yonhap News Agency, the U.S. Air Force announced that it will apply this design to two Boeing 747-8i aircraft currently undergoing conversion into Air Force One, as well as to another Boeing 747 aircraft donated by the Qatari government last year. Four Boeing 757-200 aircraft used by the vice president, cabinet members, and members of Congress are also scheduled to receive the same paint scheme.

Since the administration of President John F. Kennedy, Air Force One has maintained a design that combines sky blue and white. However, President Trump has insisted since his first term in office that Air Force One should be decorated in gold and in the colors of the Stars and Stripes. This drew criticism that the design was too similar to the exterior of Trump's personal private jet. The plan was scrapped by his successor, the Joe Biden administration, on the grounds that it would require additional design work and costs.

The office of Trump Donald, President of the United States, is decorated in gold. Reuters Yonhap News

President Trump has demonstrated his determination to change Air Force One's color scheme since his inauguration in January last year. At the inauguration ball, he presented a cake topped with a model of Air Force One decorated in gold and the colors of the Stars and Stripes, and he placed a model of Air Force One in the same design in his office, consistently signaling his intent to have the aircraft repainted. As a result, it appears that not only Air Force One but also the high-level dedicated aircraft will have their color schemes sequentially changed in line with President Trump's wishes.

U.S. broadcaster CNN reported, "The Boeing 747 aircraft donated by Qatar could begin flying as early as this summer," adding, "One of the Boeing 757-200 aircraft used by senior government officials has already completed repainting and is scheduled to be delivered to the Air Force within a few months."

Openly displaying his obsession with gold, President Trump brought in furniture-making expert John Icard in April last year to transform the White House into a gold-toned space. Golden decorations were added to the dining table in the small dining room next to the Oval Office, and seven golden vases and jars were placed on the mantel above the fireplace. A golden Trump crest was also affixed above the doorway leading from the White House corridor. Commenting on this, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said it was "a golden Oval Office for a golden age."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.