Authored by Jacki Thrapp via The Epoch Times,
The new Air Force One's emergency slide was accidentally deployed on Sept. 9 before President Donald Trump boarded to attend the first-ever 2026 Republican Midterm Convention.
The inflatable slide popped out shortly before the president was scheduled to board the plane and fly to Dallas for the high-profile GOP event.
When Trump was asked by a reporter if he was confident the plane was safe to fly, the president responded, "Yeah, I am, or I wouldn't be on it."
"As the President has said, the slide was checked out to make sure everything works perfectly," White House communications director Steven Cheung told The Epoch Times via email on Wednesday.
"Air Force One is on its way to Dallas so he can deliver his much-anticipated speech to a raucous and sold-out crowd."
Trump was scheduled to give the keynote address during the first night of the 2026 Republican Convention around 9:00 p.m. ET. The president will speak on Thursday to close out the event too.
A White House official separately t
