Well, now that Trump is a demented dictator of a backwater country, he also needs to update the aesthetics to match. Putting gold everywhere while the impoverished populace is getting whacked by police just makes sense, you know? A time-honoured tradition.

Nah, air force needs to be comfy. So golden buttons on dark leather upholstery. Everywhere. Outside too.

It’s not necessarily extra cost. Periodically the planes must undergo a full maintenance process, which involves complete disassembly, inspecting each component down to the bolts. As part of this, the fuselage is stripped down to the metal to check for cracks and fatigue. Then the plane is reassembled and painted. So one livery is about the cost of another.

If the planes are being repainted as they are assembled, which is what the article seems to suggest, then it’s not a cost issue.

That's one way how brands or empires are built.

No matter when you see that plane in the news you recognise it as that US president / state plane thingy.

So it fits that while the state is going down it's symbols are going down with it.

No that one will be deemed not fit and Trump will personally dispose of it. By putting his name on it and taking ownership.

Keeps your friends close, your enemies closer and the bugged jets you are given as a blatant bribe closest.

I don't really understand what's wrong with it...

I'm against it primarily because Trump wants it and fuck him, but is definitely not the gaudy gold flying dildo I expected. It looks like what I'd expect the presidential plane to look like, I always thought the light blue was a strange choice.

Ugly on the outside, even uglier on the inside.