Boeing CEO meets with Trump, promises lower costs for new Air Force One

Two weeks after criticizing the cost of a plan to build a new Air Force One, President-Elect Donald Trump won an assurance from the head of Boeing that the plane would be built for less than the original estimates of $4 billion.

"We're going to get it done for less than that," said said Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg, "and we're committed to working together to make sure that happens.

After the meeting, the Boeing chief told reporters his sit down with Trump "went great," as Muilenurg labeled the meeting at Trump's Florida retreat "very productive."

"This is a business that's important to us," the Boeing chief added.

"He's a good man," Muilenberg said of Trump, "and he's doing the right thing."

Earlier this month, Mr. Trump had called out Boeing on Twitter, threatening to cancel an order for a new Air Force One, as he argued the costs of the plan were "out of control."

Mr. Trump also met Wednesday with the head of Lockheed Martin, which runs the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, an effort that's been beset with cost issues.

"We're trying to get the costs down," Mr. Trump told reporters.

Like Boeing, the President-Elect also had called out the cost of the F-35 program, as he has vowed to force defense contractors to rein in their spending.

After his meetings, Mr. Trump tweeted out his approval of those who had made the trek to Mar-a-Lago.

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