BREAKING: Emergency Exit Deployed From Air Force One With Trump Aboard

President Donald Trump’s trip to the Republican Midterm Convention was abruptly delayed Wednesday after an emergency evacuation slide deployed from the new Air Force One, triggering a flurry of activity on the tarmac as the president waited nearby aboard Marine One.

Trump remained inside the presidential helicopter after it landed while crews scrambled to address the unexpected situation involving the Qatari-donated Boeing 747 that recently joined the presidential fleet.

The president later said the delay was connected to a safety check of the aircraft’s evacuation equipment.

‘They were doing a check on the slide. I think it takes 15 minutes,’ Trump told reporters after finally stepping off the helicopter. ‘They wanted to make sure it’s going to work perfectly.’

But the scene on the ground suggested officials were taking no chances.

Marine One reportedly remained sitting on the tarmac with its door closed as crews surrounded the new presidential aircraft.

Then came another striking development: the older, familiar blue-and-white Air Force One was moved from a nearby hangar and positioned just several hundred yards behind the newer aircraft.

Its front and rear stairways were lowered, apparently preparing the backup presidential jet in case Trump needed to abandon plans to fly aboard the newer plane.

Minutes later, an inflatable emergency slide could be seen extending from the right-side forward door of the new Air Force One, opposite the entrance normally used by the president.

The White House did not immediately release a detailed explanation beyond Trump’s comments describing the incident as an inspection of the emergency slide.

The episode is certain to fuel renewed attention on the new presidential aircraft, which has already faced scrutiny surrounding its conversion, security capabilities and readiness for presidential travel.

The Boeing 747-8 was donated by Qatar and rapidly modified for presidential use before entering service earlier this year.

And Wednesday’s incident was not the first time questions surrounding the aircraft have disrupted Trump’s travel.

Trump temporarily stopped using the jet following an unusual incident in Turkey in July, when security officials urged him to leave aboard another aircraft amid heightened concerns connected to tensions with Iran.

During that operation, Trump was discreetly moved away from the Qatari-donated jet using an airport catering vehicle before boarding a smaller military aircraft.

Trump later said the new Air Force One would receive additional upgrades and be “maxed out” before returning to more regular use.

The White House has maintained that the aircraft is safe for presidential travel while acknowledging that additional upgrades and enhancements were planned.

Wednesday’s incident came at a particularly high-profile moment.

Trump was scheduled to travel to Dallas for the Republican Party’s two-day midterm convention, a major national gathering intended to put GOP candidates and the party’s agenda front and center ahead of the November elections.

Instead, the president’s departure was temporarily thrown into uncertainty as crews inspected the new aircraft and positioned the older Air Force One nearby as a potential backup.

Trump eventually emerged from Marine One following the delay, maintaining that the precaution was about ensuring one of the aircraft’s most important emergency systems worked exactly as intended.

Still, the image was impossible to miss: the president waiting aboard Marine One, an emergency slide hanging from America’s newest presidential aircraft, and the old Air Force One being readied just yards away.