Former U.S. president Donald Trump recounted a story to reporters on Thursday about being involved in a helicopter emergency landing with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump recounted a story to reporters on Thursday about being involved in a helicopter emergency landing with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.
Asked by a reporter about U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ previous relationship with Brown and whether it helped her career trajectory, Trump said he knew Brown “very well” and told a story about the alleged helicopter incident.
“I know Willie Brown very well. In fact, I went down in a helicopter with him. We thought maybe this is the end. We were in a helicopter going to a certain location together, and there was an emergency landing,” Trump told reporters gathered at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for his first news conference since the Democratic ticket was announced.
Brown, however, rejected Trump’s account as “obviously wrong” during a phone call later Thursday with CNN, saying: “I’ve never been in a helicopter with him in my life.”
No, the right dude was also asked and said that while he flew with trump there was never an emergency incident.
The Times reported Thursday that the former president apparently confused Willie Brown with former California Gov. Jerry Brown, with whom he toured wildfire damage by helicopter in November 2018.
A spokesperson for Jerry Brown told the Times that “there was no emergency landing and no discussion of Kamala Harris.”
Here's the latest update, which makes a lot more sense than mistaking Jerry Brown for Willie Brown, is hilarious, and somehow also manages to make Trump look even worse than the previous explanation.
I had to reread that line in the summary a couple times to get it right. At first I thought it said he and Brown "went down on a helicopter" which intrigued me on the mechanics of how that'd work.
It was verified by another passenger, Trump just got the name wrong. He's probably also exaggerating the situation for dramatic purposes
The helicopter needed to land because of turbulence and instrument malfunctions. They weren't in risk of crashing. Shortly beforehand, there had been a helicopter crash in the area, which influenced the pilot to take "safety first" landing. Trump went right into another helicopter to continue his journey...
Anyway, I fully understand the need to land and why passengers including Trump were scared shitless, but it's really nothing to brag about.
I almost got hit by a car yesterday. It was on the road and I was on the pavement. Close call.
He's claiming the ride was with former mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown, who had a romantic relationship with Kamala Harris and supposedly trash talked her during their shared "this is it" moment of the helicopter going down. Problem is, it wasn't Willie Brown, and the conversation never happened.
Turns out he wasn't lying. He just seems to mix up faces and people.
I'd say the only thing preventing him mixing up random blondes in his audience with his daughter is that the secret service will block them from getting close