Of course, Donald Trump has been flying from campaign rally to fundraising dinner in a private jet emblazoned with his name and carrying an expired registration. Whether you love him or hate him, you shouldn’t be surprised. Not playing by the rules is part of his personal brand, and his appeal to supporters (would his endorser Sarah Palin call it “going rogue”?).
According to the New York Times, the registration on Trump’s “sleek Cessna” expired on January 31st. Ordinarily, planes with expired registrations have to remain grounded until this document is renewed. Plane owners can be fined up to $250,000 and can even face imprisonment. A Trump campaign spokeswoman says that “the renewal process ‘is just about complete.'” Though as of Tuesday, the FAA said they hadn’t received any application.
Now what does this kerfuffle say about the Donald and his campaign? The Times says that it goes to show how disorganized his presidential run has been, but to get a more complete answer, let’s go back to 2011, when Trump bought this jet. According to Business Insider, Trump paid $100 million for this plane from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. He quickly made the jet his own — with the Trump stamp painted on the side of the plane, and by covering everything else in gold.
Sometimes Trump will even hold campaign rallies in front of his plane. There’s gotta be some message here. That the billionaire who takes his own transport around the country for his presidential run can make America as great as him (again). And that on the same day that the New York Times reports on his plane’s expired registration, he handily wins the New York primary.
(via New York Times)