Emergency slide deployed on new Air Force One
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
An inflatable emergency slide deployed on the new Qatar-gifted Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews.
The incident renews questions about the jet's security measures before the GOP midterm convention.
Background
Trump began flying on the Qatar-gifted Boeing 747 on July 1 after accepting it as a gift last year, following an accelerated renovation effort. Concerns have swirled for months about the jet's security capabilities, particularly after the Secret Service recommended Trump instead fly on a plane previously used as Air Force One. Two sources familiar with the matter acknowledged in July that the new plane does not have all the security measures of the older aircraft, though White House officials have publicly said it has no security issues.
How it unfolded
- Jul 1, 2026Trump started flying aboard the Qatar-gifted Boeing 747 after accepting it as a gift last year.
- Sep 9, 2026 14:02Trump landed at Joint Base Andrews aboard Marine One; around the same time, an emergency slide was seen extended from the new plane.
- Sep 9, 2026 14:24After waiting more than 20 minutes aboard Marine One, Trump stepped off and boarded the new jet.
- Sep 9, 2026The slide was deflated and hauled away by workers; the plane took off for Dallas and landed safely around 5:15 p.m. ET, a couple of hours later than expected.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Trump told reporters the slide deployment was a safety check, saying 'They were doing a check on the slide' and 'They want to make sure everything works perfectly.'
- Caution
- NBC News reported that military personnel accidentally triggered the slide, and that two sources acknowledged in July the plane lacks all security measures of the older aircraft.
Still unverified
Whether the slide deployment was an intentional safety check (as Trump said) or an accident (as a person briefed on the matter told NBC News) is disputed. The Secret Service's recommendation that Trump fly on the older plane and the plane's security gaps were reported by NBC News but not confirmed by the White House.