President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will fly on Air Force One to North Carolina, Obama’s first appearance with Clinton on the campaign trail in support of her presidential run.
When presumed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump learned of the flight, he asked a question likely on the mind of many American taxpayers: “Who pays?”
Trump tweeted:
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Why is President Obama allowed to use Air Force One on the campaign trail with Crooked Hillary? She is flying with him tomorrow. Who pays?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2016
In a later Twitter post, Trump tweeted:
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Taxpayers are paying a fortune for the use of Air Force One on the campaign trail by President Obama and Crooked Hillary. A total disgrace!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 5, 2016
The presidential aircraft is a customized plane equipped with state of the art navigation. Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch found through a Freedom of Information Act request in 2014 that the cost for taxpayers to operate Air Force One exceeds $200,000 per hour.
The cost is divided between the political organization and the federal government, with the government’s portion coming from taxpayer dollars.
According to USA Today, “Traditionally, the White House and campaigns split the costs of trips that include an election candidate, with allocations to be determined later.”
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The White House issued a statement responding to the question of who pays for the use of Air Force One when used for political reasons. The statement read, “As in other Administrations, we follow all rules and regulations to ensure that the DNC or other relevant political committee pays what is required for the President to travel to political events.”
Trump will also be campaigning in North Carolina, speaking Tuesday night in Raleigh.
h/t: TheBlaze
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