A growing problem among members of the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) who travel on Air Force One has been the theft of branded items from the presidential airliner. The group’s president, Kelly O’Donnell, recently privately chastised her colleagues for their actions after an inventory revealed that items were missing following a multi-day trip.
Journalists have been known to take various branded knickknacks from Air Force One during their travels with the press. These items include napkins, matchbooks, playing cards, boxes of M&Ms and Hershey’s Kisses. However, some journalists have reportedly taken more permanent items like pillowcases, glasses and gold-rimmed dinnerware.
While some amenities on Air Force One are meant to be free for most guests, White House staffers are charged for every meal and sometimes even snacks they consume while aboard the plane. Despite this, stolen items consistently appear for sale on non-government shops online such as eBay and presidential collectibles sites.
The WHCA gift store sells a variety of Air Force One-branded items such as mugs, golf balls, jackets and more. However, journalists and others have been taking these items from the plane and selling them online leading to the White House’s attempt to stop this behavior.
