An online ad failed to deliver on what would have been a huge scoop regarding the famous jumbo jet.
On January 20, 2021, US President Joe Biden was sworn in. Some web adverts were still being shown as though President Donald Trump was still in office more than a week later. They seemed to suggest that Melania Trump, the former first lady, had her own private bedroom on Air Force One. The ads read: “Take a Look at Melania’s Bedroom inside Air Force One.”
The advertising directed people to the Lifestyle and The Delite websites. Both had extensive slideshow stories that spanned more than 70 pages.
Neither of them, however, mentioned Melania Trump‘s own bedroom.
White House photographer Eric Draper took a picture inside the president’s private suite aboard Air Force One on September 11, 2001. The chamber was positioned in the plane’s nose. President George W. Bush and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card were photographed standing in the suite, discussing the terrorist attacks in the United States:
“Technically, ‘Air Force One is used to designate any Air Force aircraft carrying the President,” a page on the White House website explained. “But it is now standard practice to use the term to refer to specific planes that are equipped to transport the Commander-in-Chief.” The “Air Force One” name “refers to one of two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft.”
In 2018, reports suggested that President Trump ordered that a larger bed be delivered on board for his private suite. A 2019 book also purportedly revealed that Melania Trump had her own bedroom in the White House.
A lot of mistakes emerged in the deceptive commercial and article from the Livestly website. It claimed, for example, that there were “two massive kitchens” on board and that “each kitchen holds up to 100 people.” True, there are two kitchens on Air Force One. They are, however, referred to as galleys rather than kitchens.
The size of one of the galleys was shown in a 2015 ABC News video. They appeared to be quite small. Even 10 people, much less 100, would be difficult to fit into one of the galleys. An unofficial Air Force One Facebook fan page reposted the video:
ABC News also reported that “a team of chefs prepares the meals to be served on Air Force One.” The food is prepared on the ground “inside a secure kitchen facility at Joint Base Andrews in Camp Spring, Md.”
As per Snopes, the flight attendants on Air Force One place a premium on high-quality food. The trays supplied to the approximately 100 guests onboard are prepared by a team of five people.
“They make sure everything is perfect, the steaks are in position, the green beans are exactly where they need to be for every single plate,” said Technical Sergeant Brenda Rodriguez, who leads the team in the forward galley.
In total, at least two clickbait ads promised a look at former first lady Melania Trump’s private Air Force One bedroom. Because such a room did not exist, neither article depicted it. Other claims in the stories were similarly false.
