An unexpected malfunction briefly delayed President Donald Trump‘s departure for the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention on Wednesday, September 9, when military personnel accidentally triggered the emergency slide on his Qatar-gifted Boeing 747-8.
The incident unfolded as Trump prepared to fly to Dallas to deliver the keynote address at the high-profile GOP gathering. The president was waiting to leave from Marine One when reporters spotted the inflatable slide deployed on the side of the aircraft.
Instead of immediately exiting the helicopter as he usually does, Trump remained on board for several minutes. Workers on the ground eventually removed the slide, allowing Trump to get underway after about 20 minutes.
What Trump said about the mishap
The president was dismissive of assumptions that there was something wrong with the plane. Describing the incident, he told reporters, “They were doing a check on the slide. I think it takes 15 minutes. They wanted to make sure it’s going to work perfectly.”
When asked by a reporter whether he was sure the aircraft was safe, Trump responded, “Yeah, I am, or I wouldn’t be on it.”
More mishaps involving the plane
The mishap added another chapter to the ongoing saga surrounding the luxury jet, which has faced mounting scrutiny over security deficiencies and rushed installation timelines since it arrived in service this summer.
Trump first toured the 747-8 in early 2025 and reports from the time revealed that the plane lacked an anti-missile defense system and other defense capabilities typical of Air Force One aircraft.
Former Air Force and Pentagon officials questioned whether the plane had received all the modifications typically required before entering presidential service, particularly as security threats against Trump remained elevated.
The controversial gift from the Middle East
Trump accepted the luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar as a stand-in for Air Force One in May 2025, saying only a “stupid person” would refuse the offer.
He complained about the length of time it was taking the U.S. aircraft manufacturer to build replacements for the current fleet of two planes, which have been in use since George H.W. Bush’s presidential term in the early 1990s.
“There will never be one like this. This is very unique. This is considered the world’s most luxurious plane,” the president said, describing the gift. “When it was built, it was built at a level that will probably never be seen again.”
Regardless, the plane has fueled criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, with political opponents describing it as corruption.
Trump’s on-air problems
This marked the latest technical incident involving Trump’s presidential aircraft in recent months. In January 2026, as Trump left for Davos, Switzerland, to attend the annual World Economic Forum, a “minor electrical issue” forced Air Force One to turn around and return to the base less than an hour after takeoff.
Reporters on the flight said the lights in the cabin went out before the plane returned to Maryland around 45 minutes into the trip. The president then departed for Switzerland aboard a new plane about an hour later.