Something the author didn't bring up: L3Harris is going to add a bunch of classified/military equipment and technology to the plane at taxpayer expense.
Gifting the plane to his presidential library for his personal use (whether it turns out that way or not) is effectively like letting the president keep the Air Force Two helicopter. Essentially, the US taxpayer is getting ripped off when Trump gets to maintain personal use of a bunch of equipment and refurbishment that he didn't pay for.
A second point is that Trump would now be in control or possession of classified military hardware, while also being a convicted felon incapable of getting a security clearance. Is he going to fly it to Moscow and let FSB agents poke around the avionics bays? Is he going to declassify all of the hardware in his shiny plane on his last day in office, even if that affects the safety of his successors?
Gifting the plane to his presidential library for his personal use (whether it turns out that way or not) is effectively like letting the president keep the Air Force Two helicopter. Essentially, the US taxpayer is getting ripped off when Trump gets to maintain personal use of a bunch of equipment and refurbishment that he didn't pay for.
A second point is that Trump would now be in control or possession of classified military hardware, while also being a convicted felon incapable of getting a security clearance. Is he going to fly it to Moscow and let FSB agents poke around the avionics bays? Is he going to declassify all of the hardware in his shiny plane on his last day in office, even if that affects the safety of his successors?