Inside Trump's Secretive Unveiling of Air Force One

When the president invites you to tour his plane, you say yes. In my case, you jump up and down and give him a very enthusiastic thumbs up.

On Friday, President Trump surprised the White House press pool by taking us to Joint Base Andrews. We were told he’d be meeting with members of the Air Force and that we’d be waiting in the press vans for several hours. Pack snacks. Pack water. Prepare to be bored.

I threw my cross-stitch in my bag and worked on it as the motorcade rolled toward the base. Then kept rolling. Past the tarmac. Past the government planes. Past the doomsday plane. The motorcade stretched down the runway, then curved behind a tree line.

A hangar in the distance.

The White House aide finally turned around. “Guys, pack your bags. When we get there, we’re getting out.”

The hangar doors were cracked open just enough for me to catch a glimpse of the biggest plane I’ve ever seen. The new Air Force One — gifted to the United States by Qatar.

Outside, we were briefed: yes, we were about to see the plane, with its new red, white, and blue color scheme. Don’t photograph any attendees, who needed to remain anonymous. Don’t photograph anything other than the plane. Some elements of the hangar are classified. And don’t post a single thing until the president started speaking. The reveal was still a secret.

With that, we went in.