The US Air Force has confirmed that the next generation of Air Force One will wear a paint scheme long associated with Donald Trump: red, white, gold and deep navy. CNN reported that the color palette, first proposed during Trump’s presidency, will be applied to two extensively modified Boeing 747s designated VC-25B and to a separate Boeing 747 donated by Qatar and earmarked for presidential use.
Trump first signalled his intent to change the long-standing pale-blue-and-white Air Force One livery in 2018, saying the new look would be "stunning" and invoking the red, white and blue theme he favoured. The Biden administration subsequently rejected that scheme in 2022 on cost and technical grounds, but the Air Force now says the revised palette will be implemented on the incoming aircraft, with the Qatar-donated jet potentially entering service as soon as this summer.
The decision matters beyond mere aesthetics. The VC-25B programme is one of the most visible symbols of presidential power and continuity, and choices about its appearance carry political and cultural weight. Since the Kennedy era, the iconic pale-blue livery has been synonymous with the presidency; changing it signals an assertion of presidential branding and may feed into partisan narratives about stewardship of national symbols.
Operationally, the repaint will form a small part of a wider and costly acquisition: the VC-25B conversions and associated communications, defensive and avionics upgrades remain the substantive elements of the programme. Earlier pushback on the Trump palette was framed in technical and budgetary terms, and the Air Force’s current move suggests those hurdles have been resolved or deprioritised relative to political and diplomatic considerations, including the unusual donation from Qatar.
The inclusion of a Qatar-donated Boeing 747 deepens the diplomatic angle. Gifted aircraft are rare and highlight the close logistical and strategic ties between the US and Gulf partners, even as domestic critics may scrutinise the optics of using allied donations for highly symbolic national assets. The reference in Air Force statements to a C-32 completing paint — a smaller Boeing 757-derived transport used for vice-presidential and other VIP missions — suggests the service is accelerating visible upgrades across its VIP fleet.
For the public and policymakers, the episode raises questions about procurement governance and the interplay between presidential tastes and long-term military planning. A paint-job is inexpensive relative to the life‑cycle costs of a presidential fleet, but the decision reverberates politically: it communicates priorities, foregrounds individual presidential imprint on national symbols, and may become a line-item in broader debates about defence spending and procurement transparency.