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Trump on Boeing's Air Force One contract: 'Cancel order!'

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Today: Trump calls for canceling contract with Boeing without knowing contract terms and technical details.

Tomorrow: Trump calls for tax incentives and sweetheart deals for Boeing to save jobs lost due to cancelled contract.

10 ( +15 / -5 )

Good grief Monkey and PT! Trump,just saved the taxpayers billions of dollars and you guys are still whining!

It's not whining. First of all, Trump is not president yet. Second, the issue is not a black-and-white-saving-the-taxpayer-money. It's about a man who hasn't thought through the details or ramifications of his emotive outburst, or offered an alternative. What's he going to do? Fly around the world as POTUS in a private jet with TRUMP emblazoned on the side? (I think that's what he'd like.)

7 ( +11 / -4 )

The American taxpayer is already seeing what a YUUUGE advantage it is to have a businessman for president instead of a "community organizer".

Reminds me of the excitement many Republicans held, at least initially, for "America's first MBA president" - George W. Bush. How did that turn out, by the way?

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Amazing that the Left is upset that Trump is calling out a defense contractor for cost overruns.

No, "the Left" is concerned about Trump's use of Twitter to make capricious proclamations that haven't been carefully thought out (i.e. "Cancel order!"). No one would be upset if there was a reasonable discourse on getting costs reduced.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

lol..I think Trump is just a bit sour because it won't be ready until 2024, meaning he will never get the chance to fly on what would otherwise be a 'beautiful, just beautiful' airplane.. 'the greatest airplane ever in history of the world, folks'

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Trump's spokesman claims that Trump has sold off all of his stock. Whether that includes other financial derivatives is unclear - heck, whether he's actually divested himself can only be taken at his word (for whatever you think that's worth). So when Donald praises one company like Softbank or bashes another like Boeing, take it with a grain of salt: Until he releases his tax details, assume he has skin in the game.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Boeing has long been one of the US's largest exporters, which makes me wonder what Trump's trying to accomplish.

The costs for Air Force One are obscene, regardless of whose numbers you look at. Like most other government military and infrastructure programs, the contracting process is absurdly corrupt. This corruption is built in to the process, and the kickbacks and fluff that endless delays and endless cost overruns created are the reason why politicians spend millions of dollars to run for public offices which pays 6 figures.

Trump comes from the private sector where the cost for any project must be less than the financial benefit the project creates. If he spends $50 million to build a hotel, he expects the hotel to generate much more than $50 million in return. In the public sector it is lucky if a $50 million project (which will eventually cost three or four times that amount) will generate a return of $20 million in value.

I am quite glad that Trump has actually pointed out publicly this problem with Air Force One, and I hope he takes it further, and threatens to cancel the orders of countless other federal contracts.

Though some here may not believe it, Trump may actually be able to do a lot of good if he continues this way. The main reasons why education, healthcare, and infrastructure are in a shambles, and why government spending is so absurdly high is because of the corruption which has been purposely made part of the contracting and spending processes. An incredible amount of good could be done for the people if the money spent on these things actually reached the doctors, teachers, roads and bridges, instead of enriching the families and friends of politicians.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

DT is really setting the markets alight. Softbank up. Boeing down. I would love to see Ivanka's brokerage account statement.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

If you minus the war and minus Frank and Dodd bringing the economy down it was actually not that bad.

Hah! "If you take away the things that defined his presidency, it wasn't so bad"

4 ( +7 / -3 )

I'm glad to see Boeing, a cornerstone in the US military-industrial complex, get slapped, but at the same time wonder what the Don-elect is trying to accomplish. Both Trump and Boeing are using different cost numbers. Both are known for being veracity challenged, so who knows where truth lies, though I know truth is no longer important in the post-truth era.

Boeing has long been one of the US's largest exporters, which makes me wonder what Trump's trying to accomplish. He did claim he sold his Boeing stock. Which other international corporation will he have his government contract with?

We are living in interesting times.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

It seems no problem. Trump already has his own air force one, though it probably doesn't have defense system.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Trump's MO is tweet first and deal with the consequences later. America has elected a petulant man-child to be POTUS.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

@samw Do you think you could look at what Trump is doing without just reacting to the name?

Too early to say. So far he's given me many reasons to react to the brand name and to him as a reality TV star on a much bigger stage.

It would be nice to think he can become presidential, a leader of all Americans, a man who understands the US's roles in the world. But in the back of my mind I'm reminded of leopards.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

@bass this behemoth of a disaster will soon be sailing off into the sunset a

These figures show that although the US still has problems, the last 8 years have been pretty positive. Unless, of course, you're a post-truthian who wants to believe an unsubstantiated narrative.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/donald-trump-s-tough-act-follow-n692476

not a bad idea to take a second look at the enormous costs of this plane.

On that I agree. Boeing and all the military contractors have got too fat for too long and deserve to be slapped down.

What's worrying, though, is Trump wants to expand the military. To what end? Which military contractors will benefit during his admin? And who in his govt will make and oversee the contracts?

It would be nice to think the fat can be trimmed even more, but I still see leopards. However, I'd love to be wrong.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

PTownsend - of course the Pentagon is the swampiest part of the swamp. You've probably already read WaPo's "Pentagon buries evidence of $125 billion in bureaucratic waste" article - and that's simply waste. Then there are the weapons that America does not need and the Pentagon doesn't even really want but are pushed through due to Congressional considerations. Think about the multi-billion dollar Littoral Combat Ship program that can't even get a ship through the Panama Canal without it breaking down, or the F-35 (granted, that's a fighter plane, something that would actually be more useful in a war than a littoral ship) whose cost is now $400 billion and climbing - over twice the original estimate.

Excuse me if I am not impressed with Trump's outrage over the cost of the new Air Force One. It is a drop in the bucket. We'll see if he's able - or willing - to rein in the real waste.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Choreography, boys and girls, choreography.

Watch for @realDonaldTrump tweet:

"Boeing jobs that Donald J Trump saved!!!"

3 ( +3 / -0 )

“Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order!” Trump said on Twitter.

Should he do the same with Boeing's and everyone else's US military orders - so much taxpayer money going to the military

Though of course canceling new Air Force One, that means lots of people gonna lose jobs. American jobs - that's one plane that can be said to be Made in the USA (they wouldn't trust building 2 of those, including 1 for backup) outside the country to limit possible espionage

Current Air Force One is more than 2 decades old - that's why decision to replace it has to be in the near future (a new one will take several years to finish from design approval to manufacture to flight testing)

Air Force One has to be military plane, not civilian plane. It has to be operational center of command in scenario of nuclear war: able to stay in the air indefinitely with in-flight refueling, withstand the EMP off nuclear explosion that fries electronics, receive and transmit coded signals anywhere over secure lines, self-defense system in case targeted, etc.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Fizz,

Somebody call the Waaaambulance!

I'm laughing so hard at the position in which you find yourself that I'm unable to dial....

Indulge me, with Trump's cabinet quickly filling with billionaire elites from the swamp, warmongers, defense contractors, trust fund brown-nosers and the omnipresent Goldman Sachs that you spent many hours ranting about the past year, don't you feel a revolutionary rube? Fizz?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The POTUS-in-waiting is keeping his campaign promise of "Making America Great Again" and he hasn't even taken office yet. . . .

Holy cow! Look at 'im go! Jeepers, this Trump feller really knows how to do that business stuff. Like making America great. Especially his tweets are real swell.

All we gotta do now is lock her up, drain the swamp, build that wall, bomb the $&/3 out of ISIS, and get that Putin feller's respect. Now there's a man who can get the job done.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Trump loves his exclamation marks!!!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Reminds me of the excitement many Republicans held, at least initially, for "America's first MBA president" - George W. Bush. How did that turn out, by the way?

I tripled my take-home pay, so pretty great. The whole war thing was a complete boondoggle, however. I would have rather stayed at a lower pay than have a police state where I'm afraid to post what I really think online.

Under BO, my health care costs have more than tripled in 3 yrs, now costing more than our mortgage and the police state has worsened. The spying part of the US Govt is 10x worse now than it was.

Mr. Trump doesn't care about contracts. That's why you have lawyers. If the USGovt refuses to pay, what will Boeing do? Really? Sue their largest customer? Well, in the real world, that would have YUUUGE impacts since company CEOs keep track of who is playing nice and who isn't. For the USGovt, don't think any contractor has been held accountable nearly enough. When I see $10M fines to company who make $1B in profit annually, I have to laugh at the fine.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

sangetsu03: Trump comes from the private sector where the cost for any project must be less than the financial benefit the project creates. If he spends $50 million to build a hotel, he expects the hotel to generate much more than $50 million in return.

And if not he could just put the property into bankruptcy and keep all the management fees while leaving the investors high and dry. In that sense, does he really care what the exit value is?

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Simpletons voted for Trump because he promised simpleton solutions to complex problems.

And here they are, courtesy of Twitter.

Obviously the billionaires club filling Trump's cabinet up from the Swamp makes sane people want to laugh out loud at the gullibility of these muppets - but Denial for them is a way of life.

Four long years of the Trump Lord and his Swamp await. It's not what disaster he'll cause, but how much...

1 ( +4 / -3 )

He wouldn't be around for the new planes anyway. As a user. And what's he need a huge plane for? Like the one he already has...talk about a footprint.... Now if I could just get Boeing to do an upgrade on my walker....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Simpletons voted for Trump because he promised simpleton solutions to complex problems.

More hysterical postulations.

It seems pretty accurate to me. He did promise simpleton solutions to complex problems (a wall? Seriously? When most illegals came legally?), and many people voted for him based on those simpleton solutions.

Some still do ( popular vote, anyone?).

Wait, we're in denial because Hillary got more votes (by a YUUUGE margin) than Trump?

Weird logic you got there.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

"It seems pretty accurate to me. He did promise simpleton solutions to complex problems (a wall? Seriously? When most illegals came legally?), and many people voted for him based on those simpleton solutions."

That's pretty much it. I suppose you've got to credit him for not underestimating the stupidity of his audience.

I've worked in sales in the past. If I was in front of a rabble with the sophistication of a pro-wrestling audience making whooping noises, I'd probably flog them my remaining stock of chocolate teapots, skyhooks and hammers for left-handed people.

These mouth-breathers probably don't have the mental capacity to remember the stupid s### he spouted.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

"Jimizo, whoa there! Lets keep it reasonably clean."

Spare us the sanctimony. Trump's trash makes my posts dignified in comparison to what he says.

That's one thing I do like about him - he makes riff-raff like myself feel classy.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Gentlemen: We can all agree that the Pentagon swamp will continue unmolested. Mah, it's just a few hundred billion from taxpayers' paychecks that most attribute to "socialist" programs anyway (and they're correct, though not in the way they think). The big question comes when the GOP tries to take down the ACA. This is a game many have skin in. How the GOP tries to play it will be fascinating.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I think the Japanese is Softbank chairman. Some kind of oil related company can not do business and needed laborers. That must be reason he had to come to USA.... Shortage of laborers in Japan. must be severe. Even women prefer to work after college and they don't marry they don't become laborers in Japan.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

heres a good skit on the DT scam, youtube.com/watch?v=cBUeipXFisQ

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The POTUS-in-waiting is keeping his campaign promise of "Making America Great Again" and he hasn't even taken office yet. . .

Trump has already supplied public fund to private company for saving a few hundred jobs. It is nothing different from Obama saving Citibank with tax payers money. In fact some more Banking jobs losses still occurred under Obama watch. Trump direct intervention is not the principles of market economy. It can be called as socialist controlled economy.

If the uncompetitive and losses making companies keep receiving government bailout, Trump will make America broke and grope again. Current US foreign debt is more than 17 trillions. If Trump will expand military budget according his promise, more and more debt will be sky rocketed.

According Reganomics, heavy handed government is the problem of market economy. Therefore Trump is the problem of market for making Boeing shares heading to south.

If Boeing which is the greatest icon of America broke, Trump should be accountable.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wait, we're in denial because Hillary got more votes (by a YUUUGE margin) than Trump?

Weird logic you got there.

Ok, got it, so what's your point?

My point is that Trump couldn't even get more votes than Hillary, who you guys smeared for years. Not much of a president if he couldn't even get more votes than her.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Good grief Monkey and PT! Trump,just saved the taxpayers billions of dollars and you guys are still whining! If Obama or Hillary had done this you would be organizing a parade. Do you think you could look at what Trump is doing without just reacting to the name?

-1 ( +10 / -11 )

Curious how none if the complainers have an issue with the cost overruns. Just about any normal not government class person would also end something with that much cost overrun. And the complainers have no problem with 2 billion in reasearch. Research what it isn't as if the current plan was built in 1960. It's all waste and BS and a perfect example of the nickel and dime siphoning of taxpayer money into the pockets of bureaucrats and their crony corps

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

LOL, all because the CEO of Boeing was a meanie to Trump in his recent speech, Trump cries like a baby on Twitter again. Mind you, Boeing is the the US' biggest exporter and employer.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

plasticmonkey - Ya finally got it! lol

Lewandowski: Trump's North Carolina speech was a home run ( Air Force One news from 4:16 )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka0LBJd2UlY

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Not much of a president if he couldn't even get more votes than her.

So will you get him out of office and put Hillary in his place? Crickets....that's what I thought! Enjoy the next 4-8 years, it's going to be fun. Wonder what Hillary is doing? Perhaps walking the grandkids, retiring? We all know she has enough cash to do that and in 32 days, Obama will be a distant memory as well, life is good.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@plasticmonkey

It's about a man who hasn't thought through the details or ramifications of his emotive outburst, or offered an alternative. What's he going to do? Fly around the world as POTUS in a private jet with TRUMP emblazoned on the side? (I think that's what he'd like.)

The logical, thought out conclusion is that he's planning on keeping the current planes.

Hope the irony isn't lost on you.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Cue liberals rolling on the floor in faux paroxysms of rage.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

The lefty crybabies are indeed in for a tear-soaked 4 years! -- comment

@Outrider,

At least four years. Heh, The alt left is in full on meltdown mode as they can only watch from their safe spaces (which should be spaces in a safe) as PE Trump continues to make business deal after business deal while addressing government fraud, waste and abuse to save taxpayers money.

The POTUS-in-waiting is keeping his campaign promise of "Making America Great Again" and he hasn't even taken office yet. . . .

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

And if not he could just put the property into bankruptcy and keep all the management fees while leaving the investors high and dry. In that sense, does he really care what the exit value is?

In a fantasy world, maybe.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Sangetsu03DEC. 07, 2016 - 09:39AM JST The costs for Air Force One are obscene, regardless of whose numbers you look at. Like most other government military and infrastructure programs, the contracting process is absurdly corrupt.

Who said it's obscene and corrupt? Only you? Your full of it.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Madverts, talk about denial?? The hillary crowd wallowed in it. Some still do ( popular vote, anyone?).

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Jimizo, whoa there! Lets keep it reasonably clean.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Wait, we're in denial because Hillary got more votes (by a YUUUGE margin) than Trump?

Weird logic you got there.

Ok, got it, so what's your point? We don't use the popular vote system AND the election is over or do you think if you keep mentioning it in something me bizarre way, the liberals will rise up and overthrow the GOP and Trump and defy the Electoral College?

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Obama or Hillary had done this you would be organizing a parade.

Obama actually did virtually the same in 2009, although I doubt presidents have any real power to void contracts.

President Obama Once Expressed Concern About Marine One Costs

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-obama-expressed-concern-marine-costs/story?id=44015491

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Trump is an experienced businessman. He knows how many % of production cost are added to the final sales price on such customized product.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

Reminds me of the excitement many Republicans held, at least initially, for "America's first MBA president" - George W. Bush. How did that turn out, by the way?

If you minus the war and minus Frank and Dodd bringing the economy down it was actually not that bad.

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

In other great business news for America, PE Trunp has inked a deal with a Japanese telecommunications company that will invest $50 billion and calls for the creation of 50,000 jobs here in states.

Alt left heads are exploding around the nation tonight. President (elect) TRiUMPh hasn't even taken the oath of office and he is already showing the world that Obama is the biggest empty chair this country has ever had. . . .

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

Simpletons voted for Trump because he promised simpleton solutions to complex problems.

Somebody call the Waaaambulance!

I see the crybabies are not going to stop. More hysterical postulations.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

The lefty crybabies are indeed in for a tear-soaked 4 years!

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Amazing that the Left is upset that Trump is calling out a defense contractor for cost overruns. I guess if Trump says something the reflex is to be against him. I can assure everyone that Trump will run up huge debts just like his immediate predecessors. It's built into the system.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

"It was the latest example of Trump using his podium, often via brief Twitter messages, to rattle companies and foreign countries as he seeks to shake up business as usual in Washington."

Shake it up and drain the swamp!

President-elect Trump throws Boeing agreement into doubt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHLI7NK2Gpo

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

What's he going to do? Fly around the world as POTUS in a private jet with TRUMP emblazoned on the side? (I think that's what he'd like.)

It's a possibility.

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

The American taxpayer is already seeing what a YUUUGE advantage it is to have a businessman for president instead of a "community organizer".

Eliminating waste such as this will cut our budget in half in no time. And PE Trump hasn't even taken office yet. The alt left better reserve their safe places now because it looks like America will be having 8 instead of 4 years of President Donald J. Trump. . . .

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

Hah! "If you take away the things that defined his presidency, it wasn't so bad"

Hmmm....At least we didn't have a coward and now this behemoth of a disaster will soon be sailing off into the sunset and maybe on Trump's part it's not a bad idea to take a second look at the enormous costs of this plane.

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

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