Vanity costs U.S. taxpayers in wasted dollars.

We apparently need a newer used presidential plane because the one we own is too old and insufficiently lavish. The president seems impatient waiting for the $4 billion-plus investment our taxpayers are spending on two new Air Force One planes, due to be completed in 2027. Forbes reported Qatar has been trying to sell its plane due to excessive operating costs. Unable to find a buyer, the Crown Prince offered the plane, valued at between $250 to $400 million, at no charge, to President Trump.

It could be described as a big, beautiful deal. Not so for the average taxpayer.

President Trump, in the art of a deal, has managed to reroute the offer to the Pentagon, thus avoiding any legal constraints. It is calculated to cost at least twice the value of the plane and up to $1 billion to refit the plane to security standards, including retrofitting it to be refueled in mid-flight. This may take several months or, as has been quoted, up to two years. And this simply because Trump’s vanity demands he have a more luxurious carriage to fly around the world.

Acceptance of this plane has been referred to as a stain on the administration. It merely represents another example of Trump selfishly taking care of Trump with taxpayer dollars.

Steven Palmer
North Yarmouth