Journalists who frequently travel on Air Force One have been secretly taking branded items from the presidential airliner. This has prompted the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) president, Kelly O’Donnell, to privately reprimand her members for their actions. According to Politico, WHCA members have been stealing various branded knickknacks from Air Force One during their trips with the press.
After an inventory was taken and items were found missing following a multi-day trip, the White House Travel Office was informed. In response to the missing pieces, WHCA president O’Donnell sent an email to her colleagues urging them to stop their behavior.
Air Force One contains many items with the presidential seal and call sign emblazoned on them, such as napkins, matchbooks, playing cards, boxes of M&Ms, and Hershey’s Kisses. While some items like snacks and napkins are meant to be taken and used, journalists have reportedly been taking items that are meant to be more permanent, like pillowcases, glasses, and gold-rimmed dinnerware.
It is important to note that amenities on Air Force One are generally not intended to be free for most guests. White House staffers are reportedly charged for every meal they consume while aboard the plane. Despite this charge, items taken from the plane consistently appear for sale on non-government shops online such as eBay and presidential collectibles sites.
The White House gift store sells a variety of Air Force One-branded items such as mugs, golf balls jackets among others but journalists and others have been taking items from the plane and selling them online leading to attempts by the White House to put an end to this behavior
