The Trump administration is leading the way in cutting the country's federal expenditures and has, among other things, criticized the renovation of the central bank's headquarters in Washington. But when it comes to the cost of upgrading the Boeing 747-8 that the president received as a gift from the royal family in Qatar, the White House is not as forthcoming, reports The New York Times.
Comprehensive upgrade
In order for the plane to be used as the presidential plane Air Force One, advanced communication systems, anti-robot systems, and afterburners that can quickly get the plane to safety are required.
In addition, there is the removal of any eavesdropping equipment suspected to be in the walls. As the icing on the cake, the "flying palace" that Trump wants will be filled with exclusive gold-edged interior design.
The US Air Force estimates that the renovation will take about a year and cost nearly 400 million dollars, equivalent to around 3.8 billion kronor. But both the timeline and costs are being questioned by Democratic congressional representatives.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has in the Senate not wanted to say how much the renovation of the plane will cost and claims that the information about the financing should "remain classified", reports The Washington Post.
"Secret budget"
But according to information to the two newspapers, the financing will be done with funds from one of the Pentagon's largest projects - the modernization of the US's outdated nuclear weapons system.
It is not unusual for Washington to use budgets within budgets, and according to the New York Times, 934 million dollars have been transferred from the nuclear weapons project - more than double the air force's stated bill for the renovation.
Trump's hope is to be able to use the plane during his term in office. He has also stated that it will then be donated to the foundation for Trump's presidential library, which gives him the opportunity to use the plane even after his time in the White House.
