As President Trump prepared for a trip to Texas, an unusual event unfolded at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday afternoon when an emergency evacuation slide was deployed from the newly converted Air Force One.

The incident occurred shortly after Marine One arrived beside the presidential jet on the tarmac. Videos captured the large inflatable chute hanging from the right side of the aircraft—opposite the left-side door where President Trump typically boards.

President Trump remained safely inside Marine One while military personnel worked to address the deployment. The White House Pool recorded the timeline in real time, noting that at 2:19 p.m., the older blue-and-white Air Force One moved out of its hangar and into position a few hundred yards behind the new aircraft, deploying both front and rear boarding stairs. At the same moment, the emergency slide was visible hanging from the right-front door of the new plane.

President Trump stepped out of Marine One at 2:24 p.m. to address reporters on the tarmac, stating crews were checking the slide and estimating the work would take about 15 minutes. When asked whether the aircraft was safe to fly, Trump confirmed it was—adding he would not board it otherwise. He later boarded the new Air Force One at 2:34 p.m.

Follow-up footage showed personnel pulling the slide down while President Trump continued waiting in Marine One. The incident occurred as the president prepared for a trip to Dallas for the Republican midterm convention.

The aircraft involved is the newly converted Boeing 747-8, known as the VC-25B Bridge. It serves as a temporary bridge between the aging presidential fleet and the long-delayed next-generation Air Force One planes. The U.S. Air Force announced in June that this aircraft had arrived at the Presidential Airlift Group after extensive modifications.

Officials stated the plane was intended to ease pressure on the older VC-25A fleet while Boeing continues work on permanent replacements. The commissioning flights were described as a “final exam” for the aircraft’s mission systems and operating protocols.

The slide deployment raised eyebrows because it occurred at the precise moment Trump was scheduled to board. However, the immediate facts were reassuring: President Trump was safe, crews were on scene, a backup aircraft was available, and the president himself confirmed the new plane was safe to fly. By 2:50 p.m., the White House Pool reported that the new Air Force One had rolled and was preparing for takeoff. The unexpected tarmac activity caused a delay but not a crisis.