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New Air Force One Is Canceled, via Twitter; Meantime, Americans Tell Trump to Lay Off Twitter Pence Says Flynn’s Son Not Involved in Transition, Despite Evidence to the Contrary
(about 1 hour later)
■ Vice President-elect Mike Pence says the national security adviser-designate’s son has nothing to do with the transition, though evidence suggests otherwise.
■ President-elect Donald J. Trump, who flies in his own private jet, appears to have ordered the cancellation of the next generation of Air Force One — via Twitter.■ President-elect Donald J. Trump, who flies in his own private jet, appears to have ordered the cancellation of the next generation of Air Force One — via Twitter.
■ And speaking of Twitter, most Americans want Mr. Trump to drop it.■ And speaking of Twitter, most Americans want Mr. Trump to drop it.
■ Hello, Fayetteville: Mr. Trump will be in North Carolina, on the outskirts of Fort Bragg, for the second leg of his “thank-you tour.” Vice President-elect Mike Pence, appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program, insisted on Tuesday that the son of retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, who posted a baseless conspiracy theory on Twitter on Sunday night, has “no involvement in the transition whatsoever.”
Yet the son, Mike Flynn Jr., has sat in on some transition meetings and lists it as part of his biography. He has a transition email and has served as General Flynn’s chief of staff.
The discussion arose from the younger Flynn’s tweet supporting the conspiracy theory that somehow Hillary Clinton and her campaign chairman, John Podesta, ran a child sex-trafficking ring out of a Washington pizzeria, a conspiracy that prompted an armed attack on the restaurant on Sunday.
But the senior Flynn has put out conspiracy theories and fake news stories of his own on Twitter:
Mr. Pence will speak Tuesday night at a Heritage Foundation event at, where else, the Trump International Hotel in Washington. No word yet what Heritage is paying the Trump Organization for the space.
President-elect Trump, who has for years flown in a jet airplane bearing his name, appeared to cancel a pending order for a new Air Force One, posting on Twitter on Tuesday morning that the upgrade costs too much.President-elect Trump, who has for years flown in a jet airplane bearing his name, appeared to cancel a pending order for a new Air Force One, posting on Twitter on Tuesday morning that the upgrade costs too much.
The morning tweet appeared to come out of the blue; Mr. Trump had not focused during the campaign on the cost of Boeing’s plans for a next-generation plane for the president of the United States. Mr. Trump can zero out a financing request for the Air Force One upgrade in his budget for the fiscal year that begins next October, but Congress controls the federal purse. Once Boeing, the Secret Service and the military make their case on Capitol Hill, lawmakers could easily fund the airplanes. Then Mr. Trump would have to veto an entire spending bill to get to that one item — not likely.
And his criticism of the contract to build a new plane based on the Boeing 747-8 — Mr. Trump said the costs have swelled to $4 billion — raised the possibility that Mr. Trump might rather keep flying his own, well-appointed 757. The president-elect’s criticism of the contract to build a new plane based on the Boeing 747-8 — Mr. Trump said the costs have swelled to $4 billion — raised the possibility that Mr. Trump might rather keep flying his own, well-appointed 757.
The current Air Force One, with its white and blue design recognizable around the globe, is based on a 747 design, and is aging. There are actually two physical planes, each of which bear the famous call sign only when the president is aboard. The Air Force designates them: VC-25A.
They were commissioned by President Ronald Reagan and delivered during the term of his successor, George Bush. The new plane, which the Defense Department had hoped to deliver to the White House by 2023, would have been more powerful, able to travel farther and be more technologically advanced.
But given Mr. Trump’s tweet, it’s unclear when — or whether — AF1 will get an upgrade.
True, polls these days are a bit discredited, what with the election results and everything, but consider this: 56 percent of Americans think Mr. Trump uses Twitter too much. A strong plurality, 49 percent, said the president-elect’s use of Twitter is a bad thing.True, polls these days are a bit discredited, what with the election results and everything, but consider this: 56 percent of Americans think Mr. Trump uses Twitter too much. A strong plurality, 49 percent, said the president-elect’s use of Twitter is a bad thing.
The Morning Consult poll, of course, showed the usual partisan divide. Only 37 percent of Trump voters said the president-elect was going a little heavy on the tweets, while 79 percent of Hillary Clinton voters thought so.The Morning Consult poll, of course, showed the usual partisan divide. Only 37 percent of Trump voters said the president-elect was going a little heavy on the tweets, while 79 percent of Hillary Clinton voters thought so.
Then again, there were considerably more voters for Mrs. Clinton than Mr. Trump.Then again, there were considerably more voters for Mrs. Clinton than Mr. Trump.
Regardless, he’s tweeting anyway:Regardless, he’s tweeting anyway:
Vice President-elect Mike Pence, appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program, insisted on Tuesday that the son of retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, who posted a baseless conspiracy theory on Twitter on Sunday night, has “no involvement in the transition whatsoever.” It’s war.
Yet the son, Mike Flynn Jr., has sat in on some transition meetings and lists it as part of his biography. He has a transition email and has served as General Flynn’s chief of staff. On Tuesday morning, the liberal political action committee American Bridge rededicated itself to opposing the incoming Trump administration at every turn, pledging to use many of the same hard-line tactics it used during the presidential campaign.
Mr. Pence will speak Tuesday night at a Heritage Foundation event at, where else, the Trump International Hotel in Washington. No word yet what Heritage is paying the Trump Organization for the space. “Elected leaders, they have to be gracious to Trump. That’s not our role,” said David Brock, the driving force behind several pro-Hillary Clinton efforts during the presidential election and the founder of American Bridge.
Why American Bridge’s advisers believe that what did not work during the election will suddenly succeed once Mr. Trump becomes president is unclear. During a conference call announcing its plans, an adviser went through the considerable resources the group can bring to bear like tens of thousands of hours of footage of Mr. Trump, an army of researchers digging into his background, a powerful media megaphone.
American Bridge and other like-minded groups had all that during the campaign, of course. Asked what difference it all made, Mr. Brock pointed to the small comforts he could take in what was a devastating and unexpected loss: Mr. Trump’s historically low approval ratings, the high share of voters who say a Trump presidency frightens them, and Mrs. Clinton’s success with low-income voters.
And he added one more. “We did win the popular vote,” Mr. Brock noted.
By a lot — 2,653,958 votes and still rising.
Mr. Brock did not mention — nor was he asked — whether abolishing the Electoral College would be on American Bridge’s agenda.
Mr. Trump’s thank-you tour will make its second stop on Tuesday in Fayetteville, N.C., home of Fort Bragg and the Special Operations Command. Coincidentally or not, President Obama will be at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., home of Central Command.Mr. Trump’s thank-you tour will make its second stop on Tuesday in Fayetteville, N.C., home of Fort Bragg and the Special Operations Command. Coincidentally or not, President Obama will be at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., home of Central Command.
Certainly, Mr. Trump has many people to thank in North Carolina, where most polls showed him behind Mrs. Clinton, but the tally that mattered, on Election Day, gave him a comfortable 3.6-percentage-point win.Certainly, Mr. Trump has many people to thank in North Carolina, where most polls showed him behind Mrs. Clinton, but the tally that mattered, on Election Day, gave him a comfortable 3.6-percentage-point win.
Still, the split-screen view of a president talking to veterans at one military base and a president-elect rallying a military-rich crowd near another is a striking departure from past practices.Still, the split-screen view of a president talking to veterans at one military base and a president-elect rallying a military-rich crowd near another is a striking departure from past practices.
The president-elect is obviously a creature of habit, not one to venture into parts unknown for culinary adventures — no Anthony Bourdain is he.The president-elect is obviously a creature of habit, not one to venture into parts unknown for culinary adventures — no Anthony Bourdain is he.
On Monday night, he decamped from Trump Tower with his wife, Melania, and grown children Don Jr., Ivanka and Eric, as well as Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner, for a meal at … the “21” Club. Yes, the same restaurant he ditched the news media to go to just after his election. Only this time, the press pool was along for the ride, if not the meal; reporters waited in a bus parked outside while the president-elect and his family spent more than two hours dining.On Monday night, he decamped from Trump Tower with his wife, Melania, and grown children Don Jr., Ivanka and Eric, as well as Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner, for a meal at … the “21” Club. Yes, the same restaurant he ditched the news media to go to just after his election. Only this time, the press pool was along for the ride, if not the meal; reporters waited in a bus parked outside while the president-elect and his family spent more than two hours dining.
Christopher Suprun, a Republican elector from Texas, announced in The New York Times on Monday that he would not cast his vote for Mr. Trump when the Electoral College convenes — and a group of academics and lawyers are trying to coax more “faithless” electors to follow suit.Christopher Suprun, a Republican elector from Texas, announced in The New York Times on Monday that he would not cast his vote for Mr. Trump when the Electoral College convenes — and a group of academics and lawyers are trying to coax more “faithless” electors to follow suit.
As Mr. Suprun explained it:As Mr. Suprun explained it:
To give encouragement, and legal support, the Harvard Law School professor Lawrence Lessig and the law firm Durie Tangri have teamed up to start what they are calling the Electors Trust, offering free counsel to other electors pondering Mr. Suprun’s route.To give encouragement, and legal support, the Harvard Law School professor Lawrence Lessig and the law firm Durie Tangri have teamed up to start what they are calling the Electors Trust, offering free counsel to other electors pondering Mr. Suprun’s route.
Of course, there are 2,645,046 other reasons electors might decide to bolt from the president-elect. That is Mrs. Clinton’s popular vote lead after a new round of tabulations in upstate New York.
Word is that Ivanka Trump and Mr. Kushner are hunting for a home in Washington, but Melania Trump and 10-year-old Barron will be staying in Manhattan for the time being.
All those Trumps in New York are starting to cost the city — and by extension, the federal taxpayer — a pretty penny.