A military personnel accidentally activated an inflatable emergency slide on President Donald Trump’s Qatari-donated aircraft on Wednesday shortly before he was scheduled to fly to Dallas for the GOP midterm convention.
According to a person briefed on the incident, the slide deployed as Trump prepared to board the aircraft. The President, who normally transfers directly from Marine One to Air Force One, remained inside the helicopter for several minutes instead.
Trump later stepped onto the tarmac as officials examined the aircraft and told reporters they were simply “checking the slide.”
White House communications director Steven Cheung later said the aircraft was inspected to ensure everything was functioning properly.
“As the President has said, the slide was checked out to make sure everything works perfectly,” Cheung said. “Air Force One is on its way to Dallas so he can deliver his much-anticipated speech to a raucous and sold-out crowd.”
Trump also dismissed concerns about the aircraft’s safety before boarding.
“No, they were checking it before, and they just wanted to make sure. So they’ve — I guess they’ve already put it up. They want to make sure everything works perfectly,” he said.
When asked again whether he was confident the plane was safe to fly, Trump chuckled and replied, “Yeah, I am or I wouldn’t be on it.”
The aircraft eventually arrived safely in Dallas at about 5:15 p.m. ET, several hours later than originally expected.
The incident comes amid continuing questions surrounding the security capabilities of the Qatari-donated aircraft. Concerns about the plane have persisted for months, particularly after the Secret Service recommended that Trump use an aircraft previously operated as Air Force One instead.
Although White House officials have repeatedly maintained that the new aircraft is safe, two people familiar with the matter said in July that it does not contain all the security features available on the older presidential aircraft.
Trump said later in July that the plane would be sent away for upgrades to get it “maxed out.” However, then-press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the work as “upgrades and enhancements” and said the aircraft was “perfectly safe” for Trump to use.
The aircraft is a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet donated by Qatar’s royal family last year for Trump’s use while Boeing continues work on replacement Air Force One aircraft, which are expected to be delivered in 2028
