An emergency slide deployment on the Qatari-gifted Air Force One raised questions at Joint Base Andrews (JBA) on Wednesday before President Donald Trump revealed it was all part of a safety check.
“They were checking it before, and they just wanted to make sure,” Trump told reporters on the tarmac after exiting Marine One. “So they’ve, I guess, already put it up. They want to make sure everything works perfectly.”
A person briefed on the situation told Fox News that military personnel had accidentally triggered the slide.
White House communications director Steven Cheung confirmed the plane was cleared for the president’s trip.
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“As the President has said, the slide was checked out to make sure everything works perfectly,” Cheung told Fox News. “Air Force One is on its way to Dallas so he can deliver his much-anticipated speech to a raucous and sold-out crowd.”
The unusual scene unfolded after Marine One rolled to a stop near the presidential aircraft, with Trump remaining aboard the helicopter, and the slide could be seen extending from the plane.
The White House print pool reported spotting what appeared to be an inflatable emergency slide deployed from the right side front door of the Qatari-gifted Boeing 747.
The door is opposite the entrance Trump typically uses to board the plane.
At the same time, the older white-and-blue Air Force One was seen moving out of its hangar and into position a few hundred yards behind the newer aircraft. The older jet then deployed its front and rear stairs.
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The door of Marine One remained closed as of 2:19 p.m., according to the pool, fueling questions about whether the unexpected slide deployment had disrupted the president’s travel plans.
Trump later emerged from the helicopter and said the equipment had been tested to ensure it was working properly, indicating there had not been an emergency aboard the aircraft.
Asked whether he was confident the plane was safe to fly, Trump responded, “I am. I am. Or I wouldn’t be on it.”
It was not immediately clear whether the safety check would affect which plane Trump would use for his next flight.
Fox News’ Nick Rojas contributed to this report.
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