Emergency slide sparks questions on Trump’s new Air Force One before president reveals why
Air Force One Emergency Slide Deployed at Joint Base Andrews, President Says It Was a Safety Check
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Wednesday at Joint Base Andrews, an unexpected deployment of an emergency slide on the presidential aircraft drew a flurry of questions from the media and the public. President Donald Trump, however, explained that the slide had been tested as part of a routine safety inspection before the flight to Dallas, where he was scheduled to deliver a highly‑anticipated speech.
The incident occurred in the early afternoon when Marine One, the presidential helicopter, rolled to a stop near the two‑aircraft formation in the airfield’s parking area. While the helicopter remained closed, the Qatari‑gifted Boeing 747, commonly referred to as Air Force One, displayed a brightly‑colored, inflatable slide extending from its right‑hand front door. The door is opposite the entrance Trump typically uses to board the plane. A pool photographer from the White House was able to capture the slide in full deployment.
Military personnel on the ground had apparently triggered the slide accidentally. A source familiar with the situation told Fox News that the activation was unintentional but that the slide’s mechanism was working properly. The incident prompted an immediate review of the aircraft’s emergency equipment, and the Air Force promptly cleared the plane for the upcoming flight.
President Trump stepped out of Marine One and addressed reporters on the tarmac. “They were checking it before, and they just wanted to make sure,” he said. “So they’ve, I guess, already put it up. They want to make sure everything works perfectly.” When pressed on whether the slide deployment had disrupted his travel schedule, the president reiterated that the aircraft was safe: “I am. I am. Or I wouldn’t be on it.”
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung confirmed that Air Force One was cleared for the trip. “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.”
While the slide was in use, the older, white‑and‑blue Air Force One – the model that had flown President Trump during his second term – was seen moving out of its hangar a few hundred yards behind the newer aircraft. The older jet deployed its front and rear stairs, a standard part of boarding procedures, and subsequently began its departure for the flight.
The slide, a standard emergency evacuation device, is typically deployed from the front door of the aircraft during training or maintenance checks. The incident at Joint Base Andrews, however, raised questions about whether the safety check might have influenced the president’s choice of aircraft for the Dallas trip. No emergency was reported aboard the plane, and the slide was found to be fully functional.
The White House has not issued further statements about the event. The Air Force has not released details on the specific testing protocols used. As Trump departed for Dallas on the new Air Force One, the flight proceeded as scheduled, and the president delivered his speech to a sold‑out audience in the capital city.
Fox News’ Nick Rojas contributed to this report.