Trump says he'll 'get the prices down' on Air Force One in Boeing talks

CHICAGO - A day after sending Boeing Co. stocks down with a tweet about the cost of a new Air Force One order, President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday he had spoken with the head of the company and would work out the matter or else forgo the purchases.

"We're going to get the prices down and if we don't get the prices down, we're not going to order them," Trump said in a phone interview with NBC. "We're going stick with what we have."

Trump tweeted Tuesday that "costs are out of control" for planned 747s to serve future presidents' extensive security and cyber-communications needs, saying they were "more than $4 billion. Cancel order!"

"We want Boeing to make a lot of money, but not that much money," Trump told reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York City later.

Boeing said in a statement Tuesday that it was "currently under contract for $170 million to help determine the capabilities of these complex military aircraft that serve the unique requirements of the President of the United States."

"We look forward to working with the U.S. Air Force on subsequent phases of the program allowing us to deliver the best planes for the President at the best value for the American taxpayer," the company said.

The firm's share price fell as much as 1.5 percent before regular trading Tuesday. The shares rose less than 0.1 percent to $152.24 at the close in New York.

Executives of the company told officials on Trump's transition team that the cost of a new version of Air Force One could be lowered if the government agrees to reduce its requirements for the plane, people familiar with the discussions said.

Asked Wednesday if his tweet was in response to a report that had been published a short time earlier, in which Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg was quoted as criticizing Trump's trade rhetoric, Trump said he had not seen the article.