"It seems to me that the requirement that it be an american manufactured airframe is purely a political one."
Normally I don't like the of "Buy American" or "Buy British" but in the case of your Head of State it probably is best if they use the best homegrown kit as long as it is approximately competitive
As Mr Boeing employs thousands of Americans it would be really weird to see the President get off an Airbus........................ Airbus would run the pictures non-stop