President-elect Donald Trump boarded Air Force One on Saturday to return to Washington, D.C., for his second inauguration.
Newsweek reached out to the Trump transition team for comment by email on Saturday evening.
The Context
A president-elect ahead of their inauguration gains access to Air Force One as a precaution. The plane takes the president-elect to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
This therefore marks the unofficial start of the second Trump administration.
What To Know
Margo Martin, Trump's deputy director of communications, posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, showing Trump, his wife Melania Trump and his son Barron Trump boarding Air Force One.
"America, your next Commander-in-Chief is en route," Martin wrote.
Air Force One refers to one of two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft with tail codes 28000 and 29000, according to the White House website. However, some users on X disputed that the plane is Air Force One until Trump is sworn in as president, and until then President Joe Biden retains the right to use the callsign during his travels.
However, in 2017, Joint Base Andrews called the plane Air Force One in a press release about meeting Trump ahead of his first inauguration.
Trump will travel to Joint Base Andrews, which has already been preparing for his arrival. In a press release on Friday, the base advised that U.S. Airmen assigned to the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region were practicing for their "street cordon" duties, which historically has included 5,000 military personnel to provide support during the inaugural period.
Trump wanted to upgrade Air Force One during his first administration, but Boeing has said that it's unlikely any upgraded plane would be available until after Trump's second term concludes, according to The Wall Street Journal. The project has hit a number of delays, meaning that the current timeline has it marked for completion in 2029.
What People Are Saying
Joshua Charles, the former White House speechwriter for Vice President Mike Pence, wrote on X: I was at President @realDonaldTrump's farewell at Andrews Air Force Base on January 20, 2021. I remember Air Force One departing, and its wheels lifting off the ground right as Frank Sinatra said the word 'way' from his famous song 'I Did it My Way.'"
He added: "It was movie-level choreography, with the perfect soundtrack. Thankfully I was able to catch it on video. And now, President Trump is about to return to that same spot to begin his second term as President of the United States. What a wild, crazy, and fascinating time to be alive!"
Tymofiy Mylovanov, the former Ukrainian minister of economy, wrote on X: "Trump on Air Force One. This is happening. Not a bad or good dream anymore, but reality. The world better be ready. The U.S. better be ready!"
What Happens Next
Trump will attend a rally he plans to hold on Sunday ahead of his inauguration. His inauguration will be held inside the U.S. Capitol building due to concerns over extreme cold on Monday.
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