What Prompted This Latest Trump Outburst?
Out of thin air Donald Trump Tuesday morning posted a tweet demanding the federal government cancel a new 747 Air Force One, falsely stating the price tag, and claiming the costs are too high. Immediately as the markets opened Boeing’s stock dropped.
In reality, the cost for two new Air Force Ones is not $4 billion, but $1.65 billion. It’s unclear where Trump got the $4 billion figure. The planes would replace the currently aging Air Force Ones, which are becoming expensive to repair and maintain.
Reporters managed to corner Trump at Trump Tower. He told them he wants Boeing to make a lot of money, just not that much money.
Boeing is a $96 billion corporation that employs 157,000 people. Its stock right now is down 1.31%:
The question of course is why — what prompted this outburst.
On MSNBC David Corn noted that Trump’s call to the president of Taiwan last Friday sparked outrage from China, and could jeopardize billions of dollars worth of orders for Boeing airplanes China has placed.
On Monday, the CEO of Boeing rightly urged Trump to keep the Export-Import bank, a key target Republicans have been campaigning to eliminate.
Last year Boeing announced plans to build planes in China, because the future of the Export-Import was in question, thanks to the GOP.Â
“After a hundred years of producing its commercial aircraft exclusively in the U.S., the nation’s largest exporter will build its first offshore aircraft plant in China,” Forbes had reported.
But really, who knows…
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Image by US Dept. Of State via Flickr Â
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