#Presidential Travel

[tmarshconnors]

A Symbolic Duel of the Skies

When it comes to iconic aircraft, two names soar above the rest: Air Force One, the official aircraft of the sitting U.S. president, and Trump Force One, the private Boeing 757 jet owned by Donald Trump. While one symbolizes the institutional power of the United States government, the other epitomizes the flair and individuality of a man who thrives on spectacle. Let’s delve into the differences, similarities, and the symbolic weight each carries.

Air Force One: The Flying White House

Air Force One isn’t just an airplane—it’s a fortress in the sky. Operated by the U.S. Air Force, this customized Boeing 747 (VC-25) represents the full might of the federal government. Equipped with advanced defense systems, encrypted communications, and the ability to refuel midair, it ensures that the president can command the country even in the most turbulent times.

Beyond its military-grade specifications, the interiors are functional yet dignified: a medical suite, offices, conference rooms, and a space for press briefings. The blue and white livery, designed during JFK’s administration, projects a timeless elegance. Every flight embodies the continuity of American democracy.

Trump Force One: A Flying Statement

In contrast, Trump Force One is unabashedly personal and extravagant. This Boeing 757, emblazoned with the Trump name in gold, is less about function and more about flair. The interiors include 24-karat gold seatbelt buckles, leather seating, and a private bedroom. If Air Force One is a symbol of collective power, Trump Force One is a testament to individual ambition.

The jet made headlines during Trump’s 2016 campaign, often serving as a backdrop for rallies. It became a potent visual tool, reinforcing his outsider status and business success. After a hiatus during his presidency, the jet has recently been refurbished, signaling its owner’s ongoing political ambitions.

Technology and Capability: A Tale of Two Standards

Air Force One: Unparalleled security and cutting-edge technology make it the most sophisticated aircraft in the world. It’s EMP-hardened, armed with countermeasures against missile threats, and capable of functioning as a command center during national emergencies.

Trump Force One: While luxurious, it lacks the defensive and operational capabilities of Air Force One. Its primary purpose is comfort and style, with no pretensions of handling global crises.

Symbolism: National Power vs. Personal Branding

Air Force One transcends politics, representing the presidency itself regardless of who occupies the office. It is steeped in tradition and is a reminder of the gravity of the role it serves.

Trump Force One, on the other hand, is the embodiment of Donald Trump’s personal brand. It’s loud, unapologetic, and designed to command attention—whether on a runway or in the political arena.

Which Reigns Supreme?

Comparing Trump Force One and Air Force One is like comparing apples and oranges. One is a utilitarian marvel of government power; the other, a luxury jet tailored to a billionaire’s tastes. Both, however, reflect the man who commands them: the sitting president flies Air Force One as a steward of the nation, while Trump Force One is a vehicle for a businessman-turned-politician who thrives on the spectacle.

What’s fascinating is how these aircraft have become symbols of two very different approaches to leadership. Air Force One speaks to duty and decorum, while Trump Force One projects confidence and charisma. Together, they encapsulate the tensions and contrasts in American political life today.

[deadpresidents]

i know obama used it to some extent, but do you know if trump or biden used ground force one at all during their presidencies?

For those who might not know what they are referring to, "Ground Force One" is the nickname for the badass armored bus that's been used for Presidential travel:

Off the top of my head, I can't recall President Trump or President Biden using the bus.

Really, the only time it makes sense for using it is for a very specific type of trip, like a campaign bus tour, or if there's some sort of weather-related reason that grounds the Marine One helicopters during a relatively short journey. Otherwise, I imagine it's pretty expensive to maintain the buses (and actually transport the buses themselves to various locations!) and I wouldn't think it's ideal for the Secret Service. Although the bus is armored and, like "The Beast", almost certainly has all sorts of crazy security features, it is still a big, slow target. I think the Presidential protective detail would much rather just use the faster, far more maneuverable limo than the bus.

It's pretty cool, though. It looks like it should be part of the Knight Rider crew:

[strawlessandbraless]

Convicted felon, Donald Trump is legally banned from entering these countries, how can he possibly serve as President of the United States?

🇬🇧 UK

🇮🇱 Israel

🇨🇦 Canada

🇨🇺 Cuba

🇨🇳 China

🇯🇵 Japan

🇮🇷 Iran

🇮🇳 India

🇦🇺 Australia

🇳🇿 New Zealand

🇹🇼 Taiwan

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇲🇽 Mexico

🇰🇷 South Korea

🇧🇷 Brazil

🇮🇪 Ireland

[murvienm]

CHRISTMASSS!!!

[thashining]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by EMP PRESS (@emp.press)

[itswilliamleonard]

AMELIA WATSON, VIRTUAL DETECTIVE, in: "Smol Ame's History Field Trip"

[who-canceled-roger-rabbit]

I wonder if the "refugees eating our pets!" bit is Trump trying to repurpose the Hindu nationalist trope of justifying anti-Muslim violence with accusations of abusing cattle

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dean Obeidallah at The Dean's Report:

Donald Trump wants Muslim Americans to forget the hell he put our community through in the past and now support him in the 2024 race—as we saw at his rally Saturday in Michigan. To be blunt: No politician has ever weaponized anti-Muslim hate like Trump did during the 2016 campaign and as President--as I wrote about years ago for MSNBC.com.   I will never forget the horror of watching Trump on national TV time and time again during the 2016 campaign lying about Muslims to our fellow Americans in an effort to score points with the bigots of the GOP base. And worse, the MAGA crowd at his rallies cheered the hate directed at us. As an adult it was jarring but to Muslim American children at the time it was deeply frightening—as I heard from parents--making them wonder if they belong in this country and would their parents be deported simply for being Muslim. Here are some of the worst of Trump’s campaign of anti-Muslim hate that has stayed with me from the 2016 campaign:

       Lying that Muslim Americans in New Jersey cheered the 9/11 attack. He repeated this over and over despite it being fact checked as a lie: “There were people over in New Jersey that were watching it, a heavy Arab population, that were cheering as the buildings came down. Not good.”

      Trump smeared all Muslims while on CNN in March 2016 as hating Americans: “I think Islam hates us. There’s something there that — there’s a tremendous hatred there.”

       Trump claimed in 2016 campaign that American Muslims were not fully American and wanted to destroy the nation from within: “This all happened because, frankly, there’s no assimilation. They are not assimilating . . . They want to go by sharia law. They want sharia law.”

      Trump claimed on Fox News that Muslims in America know where the terrorists are but we refuse to turn them in: “They're going to have to turn in the people that are bombing the planes. And they know who the people are. And we're not going to find the people by just continuing to be so nice and so soft.” 

       Trump’s calls for a ban on Muslims coming to America: “I, Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.”

Trump calling for a total Muslim ban and the MAGA crowd at the event cheering was one of the most bone-chilling events I’d seen in American politics at that point. (Trump’s Jan 6 terrorist attack has eclipsed that.) The real world impact of Trump’s non-stop demonization of Muslims was that hate crimes against Muslims in 2016 actually reached a higher level than in the year after 9/11. Women with hijabs were punched in the face, mosques in America were being defaced literally with bigots writing the word “Trump” like it was a modern-day swastika, Muslim students were being bullied at record numbers and more. And as President, Trump continued with his hate directed at our community. His first act as President was to sign his “Muslim ban” by way of executive order. He retweeted anti-Muslim bigots on Twitter who were peddling lies about Muslims in America being a threat.  

Trump continually demonized Rep. Ilhan Omar who is Muslim and an immigrant to the point where at his 2019 rally, his despicable fans chanted about her, “Send her back!” And the list goes on. And during the 2024 campaign, Trump is back to his anti-Muslim BS. He has repeatedly pledged that if elected he will impose a bigger Muslim ban. While making this vow, Trump has peddled even more anti-Muslim garbage, declaring, “When I return to office, the travel ban is coming back even bigger than before and much stronger than before. We don't want people blowing up our shopping centers. We don't want people blowing up our cities.”  In other words, he’s telling his base that Muslims will come to the US and blow up shopping malls. (Of course, at the same time, Trump despicably defends his Jan 6 terrorists as “patriots.”)

Since the war in Gaza, Trump has made it clear that he would never allow Palestinian refugees from that area into the United States. Worse, he has 100% backed up Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s mass slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza criticizing Biden for trying to “hold back” Netanyahu’s military actions.  And as reported yesterday in The Washington Post, Trump recently told Netanyahu, “Do what you have to do” when it comes to military actions in Gaza and Lebanon. Yet Trump is now trying to attract Muslim Americans to support him. My response is simple: Trump can go F**k himself. Sorry, I’m from New Jersey and when it comes to despicable bigots like Trump that is the response he deserves.

[...] Muslim Americans becoming active in all political parties is a great thing. While I’d prefer they all be progressive Democrats like me, no community is monolithic—nor is it in their best interest to be. But Muslims publicly endorsing Trump who has intentionally demonized Muslims for years to score political points, incited hate crimes against us, backed Netanyahu’s mass killing in Gaza and is pledging a larger Muslim ban is awful.

Dean Obeidallah is saying what needs to be said about Donald Trump’s recent outreach to Muslims disappointed with the Biden Administration’s pandering to Israel despite his past Islamophobia: “Trump can go F**k himself”

See Also:

MMFA: In reporting on Trump's outreach to Arab American voters, national and Michigan outlets excluded Trump’s promise to reinstate a Muslim ban

[svtskneecaps]

so what i'm putting together from osmosis and the wonderful livebloggers and the incredible arkanis english updates account is something like this

Prefeito Jota: Hello, I'd like to hire you to investigate what happened in my city/island(?)!

Bagi, who was previously "invited" to a mysterious island/city by its elected official, subsequently trapped on the mysterious island/city, investigated the deep mysterious history of the island/city, came to no conclusions, found her brother after years of searching, was separated once again from her brother, gained and lost an adopted daughter (possibly to being kidnapped by the island government, which was evil), gained and lost a demon fiancée (possibly to being dragged back to hell, so there's no way to find her), gained and lost a close demon friend to dubious circumstance (did he die for his children? is he with skeppy in the gas station?), and has had an unknown amount of time to process and/or suppress all of this: Sure! :D

[fictionadventurer]

All the tour groups in Springfield should be very proud of me for how well I refrained from sharing all my fascinating Lincoln facts.

[rabbitcruiser]

The Presidential Proclamation 2537 which required that Americans from Germany, Italy or Japan must register with the Department of Defense, was issued on January 14, 1942. Proclamation No. 2537 permitted the arrest, detention and internment of enemy aliens who violated restricted areas, such as ports, water treatment plants or even areas prone to brush fires, for the duration of the war. Roosevelt reluctantly signed Executive Order 9066, which sent many Japanese-American families into internment camps, on February 19, 1942.

Source

[anxiously-sidequesting]

Reblog/notes/tags with who you personally want to be headmaster of Ravenwood/a position of power other than Merle Assbrose

[deadpresidents]

Who was the last president that never flew in an airplane during his lifetime? I was thinking Coolidge. Hoover lived 31 years after his term ended. On that same note, last president to never ride in a car. McKinley? No post presidency. And, train might be Polk.

These were interesting questions to think about, so I ended up doing some half-assed research to try to nail down the answers.

Calvin Coolidge was definitely the last President to never fly in an airplane during his life. The Coolidge Foundation confirms that.

The first incumbent President to ride in a train was actually Andrew Jackson in 1833, which was 12 years before Polk was in office, so imagine all of Jackson's successors traveled by train, as well. We know that John Quincy Adams traveled by train after leaving office because in November 1833, just a few months after President Jackson's first train trip, Adams was on board a train that derailed in New Jersey and resulted in what might have been the first train accident fatalities in history.

As for cars, that's a little bit tougher to figure out. William McKinley was definitely the first President to ride in a car while in office. We know that when McKinley was first inaugurated in 1897, he and outgoing President Grover Cleveland made the traditional trip to the Capitol together via horse-drawn carriage. Cleveland lived until 1908 and traveled in automobiles after leaving the White House, but he would have been the last President to never ride in a car while he was in office.

Along with being the first incumbent President to travel in a car, President McKinley has the unfortunate distinction of being the first sitting President to ride in an ambulance. After he was shot at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo in 1901, McKinley was transported from the site of the shooting to a home where doctors unsuccessfully tried to save his life:

[linnman333]

Time to learn something new...

[murvienm]

random Dr. Who fanart

[loboboss57]

You guys I made this account because I’m genuinely fearful of this election and just felt like I need to vent.

I’m just so anxious. I wrote this on the train a few days ago.

Life has just been so… hard lately. I’m trying to be more vulnerable, maybe it will help.

Between Stops

I board a train through dusk,

the sun sinks behind me,

leaving shadows in Milan,

as darkness pulls me forward.

The rock formations,

silent sentinels of a history I can’t touch,

press against the glass.

I breathe them in,

but even the land feels heavy tonight.

My heart’s been torn

like the land we pass—

ripped open by love that left me,

not by storm, but slow erosion.

Seven months, no words,

and yet,

a stranger’s photo cuts deeper

than silence ever could.

In the space I once held,

a bed that used to feel like home.

Now there’s a tightness,

but it’s not the butterflies.

No fluttering in the chest—

just something sick, hollow,

like the space between the sun and moon

we'll never fill.

I’m tired. God, I’m tired.

I work through the weekend

pushing through days,

weeks that blur into more work.

I love what I do,

I swear I do,

but love shouldn’t leave you

aching, empty.

I once had love,

it was enough, I thought.

Treated them with kindness,

tried to be whole,

but all I held were cracks.

Respect wasn’t enough,

was never enough

for someone who didn’t respect me.

Now I crave that safety,

arms wrapped around me,

just once,

someone to breathe with me,

but the ache keeps reminding me

I am still alone.

I have family,

a mother, sisters, nieces, nephews,

their love is gold I keep close,

but it’s not the same.

Their laughter is sunlight,

but even that fades

when the world presses too hard.

The election, the wars,

all of it suffocates.

Palestine deserves freedom,

but the world can’t see it.

The United States, fractured,

divided, can’t even agree

on how to be united.

I fear for tomorrow,

the crack of nuclear dawn,

the quiet after the bomb.

I’m worried—about everything,

about nothing,

and somehow,

I just keep moving forward,

a train crossing state lines

that never seems to stop.

I want to stop.

Just for a breath.

Just for a moment to hold myself,

to gather what’s left of me,

and piece it back together.

But here I am,

typing in the dark,

hoping the train will slow,

hoping the world will give me a break,

as I move through the night,

passing cities that blink once,

then disappear.