Trump brutally mocked after amusing detail spotted in Karoline Leavitt photo on president's new Air Force One
Karoline Leavitt shared a handful of photos from abroad President Donald Trump's brand new Air Force One as it took to the skies for the very first time, but eagle-eyed social media users reckon they've spotted something the White House might have preferred stay out of shot.
The 28-year-old press secretary, who recently returned from maternity leave, posted a trio of images alongside the caption, "What a privilege to be aboard the inaugural flight on the brand new Air Force One! A truly unforgettable day," as the jet made its debut on Wednesday.
The plane, which was a gift to the United States from Qatar, has been fitted out with a 'presidential aesthetic', featuring white grain leather trim on the meeting tables, pillows embroidered with the presidential seal, and framed photographs of Washington landmarks dotted around the cabin.
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Trump could barely contain his excitement as he addressed reporters before boarding the aircraft, which is expected to be used until a permanent replacement is built in around two years' time.
"I'm excited about the first flight," he said. "They just completed it. They made it appropriate for a president, that means the security and all of the different bells and whistles they put on. Very complex now, but it's really quite something."
However, it wasn't the presidential pillows that caught people's attention as the pictures flooded social media.
In one of Leavitt's photos, a television screen displaying the presidential seal sits in front of a bookshelf stacked with matching hardback books, several of which appear to simply read 'library' on the spine, with no author, publisher or title anywhere to be seen.
Once the image began doing the rounds, people couldn't resist poking fun at the mysterious 'Library' titles, several of which are stacked in identical pairs and trios, and none of which show any visible sign of a dust jacket, author name, or actual subject matter.
"Of course a plane full of people who have never read a book has a bookshelf of fake books with titles like 'Library'," one person wrote on X, while another joked, "Volume III of the Library is a real nail-biter."
A third summed up the general mood, writing that the shelf was 'a perfect representation of the Trump administration... all show and no substance'.
Why is Trump's new Air Force One so controversial?
The jet's debut comes after months of controversy surrounding the unconditional gift from Doha. Critics have accused Qatar of using the plane to curry favour with the president, while others have questioned why a new aircraft was needed at all, given the Air Force is already working on separate, multi-billion dollar replacements for the existing fleet.
Trump has previously dismissed the criticism, insisting the aircraft represents unmatched value.
"Frankly, we couldn't build a plane like this because we wouldn't be willing to spend the kind of money necessary. They spent top dollars," he said.
Once the official replacement jets are ready, the Qatari-gifted plane is expected to be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library in Miami, where a rendering shown earlier this year suggested it would go on permanent display.
UNILAD has approached the White House for comment.
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News
Thomas Bamford