Slide deploys on Trump’s Qatar-gifted jet before Dallas flight
60 sourcesUpdated Sep 11, 2026
An emergency evacuation slide on the Qatari-donated Boeing 747 serving as Air Force One accidentally deployed at Joint Base Andrews on Sept. 9, delaying President Donald Trump’s flight to Dallas for a Republican midterm convention by roughly two hours. Trump remained aboard Marine One for about 20 minutes while military personnel inspected, deflated and removed the slide; the White House characterized the response as a safety check, while people briefed on the incident said personnel had triggered it accidentally. Trump ultimately boarded the aircraft, said he was confident it was safe, and arrived safely in Texas. The incident renewed scrutiny of the jet’s security capabilities and followed a reported aircraft switch during Trump’s recent trip to Turkey; Trump has said it will receive additional security upgrades later this year, while replacement presidential jets are not expected until 2028.
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Even if it's routine, popping the slide right before boarding still makes you double-check everything on that new aircraft.
Trump sitting on Marine One for 20 minutes while they sorted the backup plane shows decent planning overall.
Glad they did the slide check on the Qatar jet before the Dallas trip instead of risking anything midflight.
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