Trump boards first flight on new Air Force One jet

President Trump on Wednesday boarded his new Air Force One plane, en route to Medora, North Dakota, for festivities in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. 

Trump is scheduled to participate in a Freedom 250 Train Ride and Welcome Ceremony before touring the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library and delivering remarks at the Burning Hills Amphitheater this afternoon.

Trump, for the first time, is flying on the new Air Force One jet that was unveiled last month.

The new jet is the famous $400 million Boeing 747-8, donated by Qatar to the Department of Defense, after Boeing fumbled the job with massive delays. Trump previously faced massive criticism from the Democrats and the leftwing media over the plane.

Trump joked with one photographer that he could win a Pulitzer Prize for a photo of the plane before boarding. After climbing the stairs, Trump pumped his fist for the cameras as he stepped onto the new plane.

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Earlier, Trump walked up to reporters and told them they would have the privilege of riding on the “greatest commercial plane ever built.”

“It’s something nobody’s ever seen anything like it. Even you people, with all your experience and all of your talent, you will never see anything like this,” he bragged to the reporters.

He told reporters they can be “low-key” about riding on the plane or they can show it off, adding, “I think the country should be very proud of it, and it’s beautiful, and you’ll see that in a little while when you board.”

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Trump: This will be the first flight of what I think is maybe the greatest commercial plane ever built. I said to Boeing, “what’s the best one?“ They said, “This is the best plane ever built,” and you’re going to have the privilege of flying it, and I have a privilege also of flying it, but this is the first flight. We’re going to the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library opening, and that’ll be very good. That’ll be a lot of fun, but I think, you know, to be honest with you, I’m excited about the first flight.

It’s something nobody’s ever seen anything like it. Even you people, with all your experience and all of your talent, you will never see anything like this. So they just completed it, They made it appropriate for a president, that means the security and all of the different bells and whistles they put on. Very complex stuff, but it’s really quite something. And this is a plane that the United States of America should have.

Our Air Force One was 35, 36 years old, and it would be parked next to the new ones like this, and it really didn’t look appropriate for our country. So, we’re very proud of this. The country is very proud of it, and you can do two things: you can low-key it or you can show it, and I think the country should be very proud of it, and it’s beautiful, and you’ll see that in a little while when you board.

Trump was later asked about the cost of the plane, and he said it was “very little relative to what it would cost if we did it a different way.”

“There’s never been a plane like it. Frankly, we couldn’t build a plane like this because we wouldn’t be willing to spend the kind of money necessary. They spent top dollars, so the head of Boeing said this is considered the best 747 they’ve ever built,” he said, noting that it was a gift from the Emir of Qatar.

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Reporter: What’s your favorite upgrade to the new plane, and how much did it cost American taxpayers to upgrade the plane?

Trump: Well, it cost very little relative to what it would cost if we did it a different way. So, this was a gift from a country that’s treated us very well, and they’re an ally of us over in the Middle East, Qatar. And I went to Boeing, I said, Who has the best one? They said Qatar. There’s no, there’s never been a plane like it. Frankly, we couldn’t build a plane like this because we wouldn’t be willing to spend the kind of money necessary. They spent top dollars, so the head of Boeing said this is considered the best 747 they’ve ever built.

And I went to Qatar, I said, I’d like to use it for a period of time because the other ones, as you know, are under construction, they’ll be here in two years, and because, you know, the plane is 35 years old, so I said I’d like to use it. And the Emir, Tamim, who is a great gentleman, he said “no, no, I’d like to make a contribution to the country.” So, it was very nice, and we were able to do it in about five months, you know, bring it up to the presidential standard, meeting security-wise, and you’re going to get, you’re going to get a kick out of it. There’s just nothing like it.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, the US Air Force unveiled the new plane last month with a new paint job. The Air Force announced in a statement, “Fresh from receiving its new red, white, and blue livery and the final government modifications, the aircraft has entered service to provide critical, secure continuity for the commander in chief.”

President Trump delivered remarks while greeting US Air Force Service Members and touring his new plane at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on June 19.

“We had it all painted up, and these are the new colors: red, white, and blue. And we liked the baby blue, but it was time for a change,” Trump said during his speech.

WATCH: President Trump Delivers Remarks After New Air Force One Arrives at Joint Base Andrews With a New Design

Jordan Conradson Jordan Conradson is The Gateway Pundit's White House correspondent. Jordan has played a critical role in exposing fraud and corruption in Arizona's elections and elected officials. His reporting on election crimes in Maricopa County led to the resignation of one election official, and he was later banned from the Maricopa County press room for his courage in pursuit of the truth. TGP and Jordan finally gained access after suing Maricopa County, America's fourth largest county, and winning at the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Conradson looks forward to bringing his aggressive style of journalism to the Swamp.

You can email Jordan Conradson here, and read more of Jordan Conradson's articles here.

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