During a tour of a Boeing plane at Palm Beach International Airport, President Trump expressed his impatience with Air Force One's delivery delays—now pushed to 2027—while dreaming of a darker blue paint scheme.

The former president's visit comes as Boeing grapples with the slow rollout of the updated Air Force One, which has now seen its delivery milestone slip from 2024 to a languid 2027, raising concerns that the aircraft might need a full refit just to keep up with trends. Trump, looking forward to a more 'presidential' dark blue finish, claims he could've saved millions—if only they’d asked him to negotiate earlier. With Elon Musk reportedly on the case, the race is on to get the new planes airborne before the next round of electoral shenanigans kicks in.

Air Force One, the well-traveled VIP lounge in the sky, is currently a modified Boeing 747—more than 30 years old. With two existing planes that are more than 30 years old, it’s no surprise that Trump is feeling a bit antsy about the new ones. After all, Boeing Inc. has the contract to produce updated versions of Air Force One, but delivery has been delayed.

As Trump took in the sleek lines of the Boeing craft at Palm Beach International Airport, he couldn't help but draw attention to the rather sluggish pace of progress. Boeing has the contract to produce the updated versions of Air Force One, but with delivery dates that have slipped slippery-slope style from 2024 to 2027 and 2028 for the second aircraft, it's likely that the planes might become antiques before they’ve even had a chance to take off.

In an unsurprising twist, delays in production have elicited Trump’s characteristic critique. He has openly grumbled about the project's costs and both its timing and execution. However, it's not every day that you hear a negotiating pro claim he saved $1 billion just by picking up the phone. In a rather audacious online exchange in 2024, Trump exclaimed, 'Cutting costs is what I do best—ask Boeing!' while perhaps visually illustrating his knack for budget management with a flourish.

Interestingly, with the air of a man who has taken a few too many flights on outdated planes, Trump reminisced about securing a whopping $1.6 billion reduction just for a plane with a different paint job. One can only assume the paint involved enough gold trim to have impressed even the most discerning onlookers at the Trump Tower showroom.

Now, with Elon Musk throwing his considerable rocket-powered weight into the project, there's a flicker of hope that those paintbrushes might start moving soon. Musk's involvement is being portrayed as the technological wizardry needed to support the replacements for Air Force One, although it remains uncertain how it might impact the bureaucratic nebula that stands between the president and his newly colored jet.

Rumor has it that Trump isn't just fiddling with color choices as if choosing a morning tie. His preference leans towards a richer, darker blue—one that truly embodies that 'presidential' gravitas, or at least one that photographs better against the sky. An earlier revision of the color scheme was shelved by the current administration amid fears it might cause delays, which is about as popular a decision as serving pineapple on pizza.

Of course, in politics, color choice is never just a matter of fashion—it is undeniably laden with symbolism. One could argue that a darker blue signals a shift, a new era, or perhaps just a nod toward a 1980s throwback vibe that cries out for shoulder pads and meatloaf. Whatever the reasoning, the stakes seem higher than ever as Trump insists he would have jumped into the decision-making fray had he known the original paint reaction would be subdued. But alas, now it falls to Boeing and Musk to deliver the palate of power.

Though 2028 feels excruciatingly distant, Trump seems disinclined to heed this particular timeline. As the world tunes in to witness whether or not Air Force One will indeed be delivered, there’s uncertainty about Trump rolling out the red carpet for any changes to the color scheme.

In an age where new aircraft should be seen and not only heard about on social media, it's any wonder that a promise of dual planes—one parked and another in the near future—seems just a tad lacking in excitement. Now, with Trump and Musk at the helm, one can only hope that the only thing taking off will be the planes, not just the speculation.