The White House Correspondents’ Association has issued a stern warning to reporters on presidential missions to stop stealing souvenirs from Air Force One.

The email sent to White House credentialed reporters last month specifically stated that taking items off the plane is prohibited and that such behavior is disrespectful to the press corps that accompanies the president on his travels.

The recommendation came after an inventory of Air Force One following President Biden’s visit to the US West Coast in February found several items missing from the plane, including designer pillowcases, glasses and gold-rimmed plates.

Journalists participating in presidential missions are sometimes given small packages of chocolate M&Ms emblazoned with the presidential seal as a souvenir.
But taking items with the Air Force One logo — including cutlery and towels — has been commonplace for years.

In fact, Misha Komandowski, the White House correspondent from the Voice of America, presented to the BBC the collection of items he has from his trips on the presidential plane. Among them was a paper cup with the logo of Air Force One that “just forgot to fly” and a box of presidential M&Ms signed by Barack Obama.

“I didn’t embarrass anyone or commit any crime to make this collection,” he told BBC News.