WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The comments come a day after he said Boeing is charging too much for two new planes used by US presidents and known as Air Force One.
“I think the planes are too expensive,” Trump told NBC News. “Planes are too expensive and we’re going to get the prices down and if we don’t get the prices down, we’re not going to order them.”
6 December 2016, 16:18 GMT
In a response later Tuesday, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James said the price of new Air Force One aircraft could be reduced only by cutting back on crucial security and communication features.
The Air Force, which oversees the contract for the presidential planes, also issued a statement saying it’s still conducting risk-reduction activities with Boeing that will eventually define the capabilities and cost of Air Force One.
The Air Force has budgeted $1.65 billion for the two new airplanes and related work between 2015 and 2019 – far less than the $4 billion figure Trump cited Tuesday.
