President-elect will say so long to Trump Force One

Wednesday night will be Mr. Trump’s last ride on his favorite accessory: his blue-and-gold-painted airplane, with his name across the side.

Mr. Trump will return to Washington briefly on Wednesday evening, but will not spend the night. Instead, he will return to New York City for a final stay at Trump Tower before he is sworn in on Friday.

On Thursday, Mr. Trump will be escorted to Washington on a military jet, according to a person briefed on the plans. He will spend that night at Blair House, the president’s guesthouse.

The Secret Service insists for security reasons that the president travel on the official aircraft.

At first glance, Air Force One is an indisputable status symbol for an incoming president who focuses heavily on aesthetics. But Air Force One does not have the gold-plated belt buckles or wood tables that Trump Force One does.

And Mr. Trump is also happiest with things that are familiar, and that he himself owns. He spent most of his campaign with his airplane as his mobile headquarters, writing speeches and giving interviews from his seat. He is one of the only incoming presidents to whom Air Force One might feel like a step down.

Despite Obama’s efforts, a Muslim registry could be revived

Warily looking at the incoming Trump administration, President Obama moved in recent weeks to eliminate all vestiges of a program created after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that required men from countries with active terrorist groups to provide their fingerprints and to register with the federal government.