Trump Says Seats from Air Force One Are Being Removed to Carry Bush’s Casket from Texas

The preparations for George H.W. Bush’s funeral are coming together.

Talking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Donald Trump shared that before transporting the remains of the late president to Washington, D.C., a section of seats is being removed from the plane in order to accommodate Bush’s casket.

“So what we’re doing with the plane — we land, and then they come in and these are great people that run these aircraft. They are unbelievable. And they’re taking apart — I don’t think this section. The section up front, they’re taking all of the seats out,” he told reporters, according to a White House pool report.

The plane — which is not called Air Force One unless the president is onboard — will fly to Houston, where it will pick up the late president’s casket before transporting it to Maryland’s Joint Base Andrews on Monday.

RELATED: Michelle Obama Cancels Book Tour Dates to Attend Bush’s Funeral After Posting Touching Tribute

A schedule outlining the funeral plans states that Bush’s remains will arrive at the base on Monday at 3:30 p.m. ET and be transported to the U.S. Capitol. Following a short service, his remains will lie in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol until Wednesday morning.

Members of the public will be able to pay their respects from 7:30 p.m. on Monday until 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday.

RELATED VIDEO: In Memoriam: George H.W. Bush

A state funeral will be held at the National Cathedral on Wednesday, starting at 11 a.m. ET. Additionally, Wednesday will be declared a national day of mourning in dedication to Bush, President Trump announced Saturday.

Michelle Obama has already announced that she will be attending the service, and that in order to do so, she had to cancel some tour dates supporting her recently released memoir, Becoming.

Following the state funeral, Bush’s remains will be transported to Houston, where he lived. A second memorial service will also be held at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Houston at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

He will then be laid to rest at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum at Texas A&M University. His late wife Barbara as well as their daughter Robin, who died at the age of three from leukemia, are also buried there.

Although Trump did not attend Barbara’s funeral, he plans to attend Wednesday’s service.

from PEOPLE.com https://ift.tt/2BKW5Bk