Democrats have done nothing to help President Donald Trump, and majority Republicans do good things for the country since the GOP won a trifecta—the White House, House, and Senate—in the 2024 elections.
Rather, their entire political strategy has been simply to oppose whatever the president and his party want, regardless of any negative impact on the American people.
So it should come as no surprise that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday was once again trying to block Trump and Republicans regarding funding for the new Qatari-supplied Air Force One.
Trump’s new Air Force One will remain in service for now after Senate Republicans blocked an effort by Schumer to bar taxpayer funds from being used to upgrade the aircraft.
For the past year, Democrats have criticized the Boeing 747-8 luxury jet gifted to Trump by Qatar, raising concerns about the cost of retrofitting the aircraft as well as the potential security risks of using it as the president’s primary plane.
None of these concerns, however, justify holding up any effort to improve or secure the plane.
Following Trump’s remarks over the weekend about the aircraft, which the White House introduced last month as the newest addition to the Air Force One fleet, Schumer attempted to block any taxpayer funding from being allocated to the project.
The administration estimated that upgrading the aircraft, which has an estimated base value of $400 million, could cost as much as $1 billion, Fox News reported.
“The luxury jet may have come wrapped in a bow for Donald Trump, but it came with a massive price tag for the American people,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.
“Trump is asking taxpayers to fork over an estimated $1 billion to retrofit, and max out his flying palace, so it can meet the security standards of the existing Air Force One fleet,” Schumer whined.
“That, of course, we already paid for,” he continued.
“Americans can’t afford gas, can’t afford groceries, can’t afford their electric bill. But Trump thinks they can afford to fly him in style,” Schumer – who did nothing to help curb inflation during Joe Biden’s inflationary four years – added.
Schumer sought unanimous Senate approval of his Presidential Airlift Security Act on Wednesday afternoon.
The bill would have prohibited the Department of War from using federal funds to purchase, modify, restore, or maintain any aircraft previously owned by a foreign government.
The effort followed Trump’s decision, reportedly made after recommendations from the Secret Service, to return to the United States from Turkey aboard a different aircraft rather than the new Air Force One because it had not yet received key security upgrades, including countermeasures designed to defend against heat-seeking missiles.
Trump told reporters on Sunday, when asked why the deterrence systems weren’t visible on the new plane, said the aircraft “has a lot of capability, but as I understand it, in about a month or so, they’re going to send it to have it be maxed out.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the decision and told reporters Monday that although the new Air Force One is “perfectly safe for the president’s travels,” it is scheduled to undergo additional upgrades and enhancements this fall that will keep the aircraft grounded for about a month.
“During that time, the president will fly on the old Air Force One,” she said.
Schumer’s effort was quickly blocked by Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., who argued that the legislation extended well beyond preventing taxpayer funds from being used to upgrade the Qatari jet and could undermine the nation’s capabilities in responding to a nuclear threat.
“Unfortunately, this legislation would also apply to a different aircraft, the Survivable Air Operations Center aircraft, or SAOC,” Fischer said, per Fox.
“Those aircraft were actually purchased from Korean Air. So this legislation would hamper a crucial program that ensures presidential safety in the event of a nuclear war.”
