Donald Trump’s Marine One helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing due to a ‘hydraulic issue’ as it transported the US president and first lady from Chequers to London Stansted airport
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Trump leaves Chequers on Marine One helicopter after state visit
Donald Trump’s presidential helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing in the UK after suffering a ‘hydraulic issue’ at the end of his state visit.
The president and first lady Melania Trump were aboard the Marine One helicopter on the first leg of their journey back to the US earlier this evening when the pilot had to make the landing. The White House said the helicopter stopped at a “local airfield” out of an “abundance of caution” after a “minor hydraulic issue” was detected, before the pair boarded a support helicopter to continue their journey. They had been travelling from the Prime Minister’s country residence at Chequers to London’s Stansted airport, where Air Force One was waiting to take them back to the United States.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement: “Due to a minor hydraulic issue, and out of an abundance of caution, the pilots landed at a local airfield before reaching Stansted airport.”
“The president and first lady safely boarded the support helicopter.”
Trump arrived approximately 20 minutes behind schedule, although the White House provided no reason for the delay prior to take off.
On the final day of Trump’s second state visit, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told a press conference at Chequers the UK and US were working together to put pressure on Vladimir Putin to get him to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine.
Trump told the news conference he thought the Ukraine war would be the “easiest” to resolve but the Russian president had “really let me down” following a ramping up of attacks on Ukraine.
While the day went largely without incident, there were some signs of difference between the two men after Trump suggested military involvement in tackling the small boats crisis, warning illegal migration could “destroy” countries.
The US president acknowledged he had a “disagreement” with the Prime Minister over the UK’s plans to recognise a Palestinian state, and urged Britain to exploit its North Sea oil and gas resources, highlighting his own “drill, baby drill” policy and dismissing wind power as a “very expensive joke”.
