From pillowcases to gold plates: WH reporters travelling with Biden warned against stealing items from Air Force One
In a surprising turn of events, an inventory check on President Joe Biden’s Air Force One discovered that several items, including gold-rimmed plates and pillowcases, were missing from its press section.
Following this, the White Correspondents’ Association reminded the journalists via an email that stealing items from the plane was prohibited.
Politico stated that after a thorough investigation into the theft, multiple journalists had “quietly stuffed everything from engraved whiskey tumblers to wine glasses” into their bag before stepping off the Air Force One.
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White House reporters enjoy special privileges on Air Force One
Whenever the US President leaves the White House for official trips, a group of thirteen journalists ride along with him in his Boeing. Their expenditures, including airfare, onboard food and drinks, are covered by the media outlets.
During the trip, the crew offers them miniature M&M chocolate parcels bearing the US President’s signature and seal as souvenirs.
President Ronald Reagan instituted a policy in 1988 of providing mementos to the scribes instead of the customary packs of cigarettes with the presidential seal that had been distributed for decades.
According to the report, taking goods bearing the logo of Air Force One, such as towels and silverware, has been standard practice for years.
An individual can also purchase several Air Force One-branded accessories online.
White House raises alarm over stealing incidents
In its report, Politico pointed out that noises resembling rattling dishes and glasses could be heard from their journalists’ bags as they disembarked the jet.
In one incident, it said that a former White House journalist hosted a lavish dinner party and served meals on gold-rimmed plates that were pilfered from Air Force One .
One correspondent who received the email quietly returned an embroidered pillowcase after facing severe backlash from the journalists’ group.
Voice of America White House correspondent Misha Komadovsky has assembled a “subtle” assortment of mementos from the journeys on the president’s aircraft.
Speaking to BBC News, Komadovsky said that he “simply forgot to throw out” a paper cup bearing the Air Force One logo, adding that “I didn’t embarrass anyone or commit any wrongdoing to put this collection together.”
Komadovsky also possesses a box of presidential M&Ms that bears Biden’s autograph. “They’re just regular M&Ms in a nice box,” he argued.
Air Force One features world-class amenities, including a large presidential suite, an operating table-equipped medical station, a boardroom and dining room, two galleys for preparing food that can feed a hundred people at once, and special spaces for the press, VIPs, security, and secretarial staff.
