Inside the rushed effort to get Trump his new Air Force One

A rushed effort to get a new temporary Air Force One after delays in Boeing’s replacement aircraft has raised safety and cost concerns, according to an investigation cited by The New York Times. Early in President Donald Trump’s second term, a few weeks in, he toured a luxury Boeing 747-8 at the West Palm Beach, Florida airport that had been flown from Doha, Qatar, for his review. The jet, outfitted for the Qatari royal family, included features such as bedrooms, lounges and a chandelier, and the administration sought accelerated retrofits to have the plane ready for the U.S. 250th birthday this summer. The Times reported that Trump personally approved final features and security measures, and that some long-used Air Force One capabilities were not visible on the upgraded aircraft, including a lower-level exit, additional backup power capacity and an advanced anti-missile system. The overhaul reportedly took about eight months versus years suggested by experts, while the government spent hundreds of millions on pilot training equipment on top of publicly acknowledged upgrade costs of about $400 million.