US: Trump reaches deal with Boeing on new presidential planes

President Donald Trump has reached an informal deal with Boeing to provide the next generation of presidential aircraft, the White House says. Deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said Tuesday that the president negotiated a $3.9 billion "fixed-price contract" for the new planes, known as Air Force One when the president is on board. It follows years of negotiations between Boeing and the US Air Force — and Trump's personal intervention since his election. In December 2016, Trump tweeted that costs for the program were "out of control, more than $4b." He added, "Cancel order!" Boeing CE Dennis Muilenburg met multiple times with Trump to discuss the Air Force One contract, most recently last week. Boeing said it is "proud to build the next generation of Air Force One, providing American Presidents with a flying White House at outstanding value to taxpayers." "President Trump negotiated a good deal on behalf of the American people," it said. Gidley said the agreement would save taxpayers more than $1.4b, but it remains unclear exactly how that number was calculated.<br/>