Journalists accompanying US President Joe Biden on a tour aboard Air Force One have been told to stop stealing souvenirs from the plane. The White House Correspondents’ Association sent a stern notice to reporters last month via email.
According to the BBC, after Biden’s visit to the West Coast of the United States last February, a few items were not found when checking all the belongings of Air Force One. These included branded pillow covers, glasses, and gold-plated tableware.
Journalists are sometimes given packets of M&M chocolates during trips on Air Force One. Those packets contain the presidential seal as a souvenir. But over the years, it has become commonplace to take items with the Air Force One logo (such as cutlery or towels), according to several news reports. They are carried in bags when disembarking from the aircraft.
Voice of America’s White House Correspondent Misha Komadowski collected many such things during a tour of the president’s plane. He told the BBC that he did not embarrass anyone or do anything wrong. He was holding a paper cup emblazoned with the Air Force One logo. He said he simply ‘forgot to throw away’.
He also had a box of M&M’s signed by Biden. What he says is a nice box of M&Ms that are regularly provided on the plane. Air Force One is described by the White House as the president’s office in the sky. The three-tiered floor area of this aircraft is 4,000 square feet.
It has a medical station on one side with the president’s entrance and a separate work area. On the other hand, there are conference rooms and dining rooms. There are two food preparation galleries where 100 people can eat at the same time. And on the other side, there is space for journalists, VIPs, and secretariat staff.
