President Donald Trump’s scheduled departure to Texas for the inaugural GOP midterm convention faced a temporary setback on Wednesday. An emergency evacuation slide on the Qatar-gifted Air Force One was unexpectedly deployed just moments before he was set to board the aircraft. The incident caused a brief delay in the president’s travel plans.
He said, “They’re checking the slide over here, and I think it’s going to take 15 minutes. The president remained aboard Marine One for about 20 minutes before stepping onto the tarmac. Reuters reported that the administration accelerated modifications to the aircraft before it entered presidential service on July 1.
After landing at the base, Trump acknowledged the delay and gestured to Marine One while addressing the media. When asked whether he was confident the aircraft was safe, Trump replied, “Yeah, I am, or I wouldn’t be on it. Minutes later, the emergency slide was removed and the aircraft departed for Texas. The aircraft’s acceptance and the speed at which it was transformed into a presidential transport were widely criticized. The administration has justified the arrangement, claiming that after significant adjustments, the aircraft satisfies the necessary security standards.
The luxury jet was donated for presidential use by Qatar last year.
