The Trump campaign suffered its second plane mechanical problem in a week on Friday, after the plane of 2024 Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance made an emergency landing in Milwaukee.
2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's plane made an emergency landing in Billings, Montana, about 150 miles from its intended destination of Bozeman on August 9 due to mechanical issues. According to To CBS News.
Vance's plane, a Boeing 737-86J known as “Trump Force Two,” landed at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport four minutes after takeoff because of a faulty door seal, Trump campaign spokesman Taylor Van Kirk said. The New York Times.
“The pilot reported a malfunction with the door seal,” a Trump campaign spokesman said.
🚨✈️ Trump Force Two ✈️🚨
The plane made an emergency landing in Milwaukee with vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance.
The Milwaukee County Fire Department (ARFF) was dispatched to the Boeing 737 on the runway.
43 passengers per traffic scanner
J.D. Vance's plane began turning back near… pic.twitter.com/n8bYqSnwtT
— Kylie Jane Kremer (@KylieJaneKremer) August 16, 2024
🚨 BREAKING: JD Vance's Trump Force Two, a Boeing 737, made an emergency landing in Milwaukee after the pilot discovered a “faulty door seal.”
This comes just a week after President Trump's plane made an emergency landing in Billings due to a “hydraulic leak.”
Let me say this… pic.twitter.com/9gVpNPo4UO
— Nick Sorter (@nicksortor) August 16, 2024
The problem with Trump Force Two was quickly resolved and the plane departed for Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, a campaign spokesman said. Vance's plane remained on the tarmac for more than an hour while the problem was resolved, according to the outlet.
Vance was traveling with his wife Usha, a group of advisers, U.S. Secret Service agents, journalists and his dog, Atlas.
You can't really tell from the video, but he was *unhappy* with the wet metal stairs.
He's doing fine on the plane.
We have two German shepherds, and both of them have a habit of fawning on people who don't like dogs. https://t.co/Lf0qhOmbWl
— JD Vance (@JDVance) August 16, 2024
According to the outlet, Secret Service agents on board initially “reacted with confusion and laughter,” with many not initially convinced there was an emergency. The pilot reportedly apologized over the intercom for causing “elevated heart rates.” (RELATED: Secret Service unveils new plan to protect President Trump at outdoor rallies)
According to the media, Vance's plane arrived at its destination around 4 p.m.
Boeing has come under scrutiny recently for a series of quality-control issues affecting its 737 Max jetliner, which was involved in two crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. Boeing reached a plea deal with the Justice Department in July, pleading guilty to criminal fraud and paying a $243.6 million fine.
Vance's Boeing 737-86J was built 22 years ago, the outlet reported, citing aviation records. The plane Trump originally used for his Montana rally, known as Trump Force One, is a Boeing 757 built in 1991.
🚨BREAKING: President Trump's plane made an emergency landing in Billings, Montana this afternoon due to mechanical failure.
Here's a video of the landing.
I am saying God is reaching out to this guy. pic.twitter.com/UK14CxVbtf
— Brandon Tatum (@TheOfficerTatum) August 9, 2024
According to the New York Times, the Federal Aviation Administration directed all investigations to the Trump-Vance campaign.
Concerns about Trump's safety soared after he was grazed by a bullet in his ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Since the assassination attempt, one of Trump's campaign offices in Virginia has been burglarized, his campaign has been the target of hacking by foreign actors described as “hostile,” and U.S. authorities have reportedly received intelligence about an Iranian plot to assassinate him.
