Former President Donald Trump’s plane was forced to divert to Billings, Montana, on Friday after the aircraft experienced a mechanical issue as he was headed to host a rally.
Trump and his team were on their way to Bozeman, Montana, for a planned rally on Friday evening when the plane experienced a “mechanical problem” — which some reports indicate was due to a hydraulic leak, though his team has not yet elaborated about the issue.
🚨BREAKING: DONALD TRUMP'S PLANE MAKES AN EMERGENCY LANDING
Trump's plane made an emergency landing in Billings due to a hydraulic leak before his Bozeman event tonight. 😳‼️ pic.twitter.com/05rtyVpKdF
— DramaAlert (@DramaAlert) August 9, 2024
The Republican presidential nominee was still able to make it to the rally, which was scheduled for 8 p.m. His plane, nicknamed Trump Force One, landed roughly 142 miles to the east of its destination on Friday afternoon — where Trump was transferred to a different, smaller plane to take him the rest of the way.
Trump posted a video on his Truth Social platform upon landing in Billings, though he made no mention of the mechanical problems. In the video, he explained that he was doing the rally in the deep-red state in support of Republican Senate candidate and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy.
“I just landed in a really beautiful place: Montana. So beautiful, flying over and you just look down and that’s the way it’s supposed to be,” he said in the video taken aboard his plane. “I’m here to do some fundraisers and most important to support Tim Sheehy who’s running for the U.S. Senate and we think he’s going to do really well. We’re going to have a rally. And it’ll be a lot of fun.”
🚨 Message from President @realDonaldTrump
Wheels down in MONTANA! pic.twitter.com/F46PfztnAp
— Margo Martin (@margommartin) August 9, 2024
Meanwhile, there were already thousands of Trump supporters waiting in line to attend his rally — with some reports indicating that the number of people waiting outside the venue was as high as 30,000, despite the venue only holding 10,000 people.
I'm at the Trump rally in Bozeman, Montana. Rally organizers say over 30,000 are here to attend, but the venue only holds 10,000
HISTORIC TURNOUT NUMBERS! pic.twitter.com/6Q0OJzIzpw
— George (@BehizyTweets) August 9, 2024
The rally attendees were already lined up more than five hours before the event.
🚨THOUSANDS OF PATRIOTS ARE ALREADY AT RIGHTFUL PRESIDENT TRUMP'S MONTANA RALLY!
This video was taken over 5 HOURS before Trump is set to speak.
MONTANA IS TRUMP COUNTRY!
Kamala definitely doesn't want you to share this! pic.twitter.com/Hh32BPxYeV
— Bo Loudon (@BoLoudon) August 9, 2024
Conservative commentator and former police officer Brandon Tatum shared a video on X of Trump’s Boeing 757 making the emergency landing, writing: “I’m telling you God has his hand on this man.”
🚨BREAKING: Trump’s plane makes an emergency landing in Billings, Montana this afternoon due to mechanical failure.
Here’s video of the landing.
I’m telling you God has his hand on this man. pic.twitter.com/UK14CxVbtf
— Brandon Tatum (@TheOfficerTatum) August 9, 2024
Some social media users are concerned about the mechanical failure and wondering if it was “intentional sabotage,” though there have been no indications of anything nefarious as of Friday evening.
🚨Trump’s plane makes emergency landing in Billings, Montana due to equipment failure🚨
Medevac flight and motorcade en route to Billings from Bozeman
After he was shot in the head, we absolutely cannot rule out intentional sabotage of his plane
Investigate his airplane… https://t.co/lY7Xga2THx pic.twitter.com/m2PN0NHN9w
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) August 9, 2024
