Donald Trump is annoying enough with his endless rants on Twitter about “fake news,” his lies, and his complaints. Imagine, though, being stuck in an airplane with him for twenty straight hours at a time.
As President Trump sets off for Japan, what’s it like aboard Air Force One? A great new story from @kaitlancollins & @Kevinliptakcnn: https://t.co/IXxFANzMBR
— Jeff Zeleny (@jeffzeleny) May 24, 2019
Trump aides speaking on condition on anonymity with CNN say that they used to fight for the honor of traveling overseas as part of a presidential administration, but after a few trips with Trump, they now fight to avoid it. His current trip to Japan was dreaded by most staff members who will have to accompany him.
CNN reports:
‘Not always an eager traveler, Trump has complained in the past about the pace of his foreign travel or the accommodations arranged for him abroad. It’s his aides, however, who sometimes dread boarding Air Force One for a lengthy flight overseas, knowing full well the boss will make little use of the bed wedged into the nose of the plane.
‘”It’s like being held captive,” one official said of traveling with the President on Air Force One.’
I was extremely calm yesterday with my meeting with Pelosi and Schumer, knowing that they would say I was raging, which they always do, along with their partner, the Fake News Media. Well, so many stories about the meeting use the Rage narrative anyway – Fake & Corrupt Press!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 23, 2019
Trump reportedly rarely sleeps, complains constantly about his news coverage, and goes on tirades about accommodations and slow travel. His aides don’t have dedicated sleeping areas and, when they do get a chance to sleep, they’re often woken up because Trump wants to discuss whatever random topic happens to be on his mind at the time. In short, they say it’s like “being held captive.”
‘Current and former officials have described White House trips as grueling endeavors accompanied by long hours, but several privately said the flights overseas are easily the worst. The duration can stretch nearly 20 hours. Sleeping space is limited. The televisions are streaming Fox News constantly. And if the headlines flashing across the bottom of the screen are unfavorable to their boss, aides know it’s time to buckle up for a turbulent ride.’
Before some of his earlier trips as President, advance teams ensured that host governments worked to avoid presenting Trump with food that might seem challenging, such as fish with the head still attached https://t.co/xT3I6gsKbN
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) May 24, 2019
Aides say that Trump spends most of his time on Air Force One eating, watching cable news, and complaining about “fake news.” One of the reasons he is consistently so ill-prepared for overseas meetings is that he’ll interrupt staff while they’re working on preparations with demands that they “fix” any negative coverage he spots while watching television.
‘Trump has long insisted that he is treated unfairly by the news media, and if he sees something on television that bothers him — “which he invariably will,” one official quipped — he instructs his staff to fix it, no matter if they are at the White House or flying over the Atlantic Ocean. Often, instead of looking over his remarks for upcoming bilateral meetings or paging through a briefing book, the President will fixate on the negative headline that day, griping that none of his predecessors has been through such treatment.’
1. New Trump ad on Facebook: "The left-wing MOB and their allies in the FAKE NEWS media represent a very real danger to our nation." pic.twitter.com/a3Yolbe0a7
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) May 24, 2019
Featured image via Flickr by Gage Skidmore under a Creative Commons license