U.S. briefing
Emergency slide deployment delays Trump's Texas departure
An emergency slide inflated on the new Air Force One before President Trump boarded at Joint Base Andrews. Workers removed it, and the plane subsequently took off without incident.
President Trump's departure for Texas was delayed Wednesday after an emergency slide inflated on the new Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews before he boarded. Workers eventually deflated and removed the slide, and the plane took off without incident.
Trump was traveling to Dallas for the RNC's Midterm Convention. He was waiting to leave Marine One and board Air Force One when reporters saw the inflated slide extending to the tarmac. The older Air Force One arrived as a backup while workers dealt with the slide.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said workers were checking the slide and denied that there was a security concern with the aircraft. He said they wanted to ensure everything worked properly. His explanation did not establish what caused the slide to deploy.