Air Force One turned around mid-flight Tuesday, forcing Donald Trump to delay his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos—where European leaders are waiting to confront him over his Greenland threats and tariff promises. The official explanation? A “minor electrical issue.”
WHAT’S GOING ON: According to The Guardian, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the crew detected a fault shortly after takeoff and decided to return to Washington DC “out of an abundance of caution.” A pool reporter on board noted that the lights in the press cabin flickered off briefly after takeoff. That’s it. That’s the whole explanation.
Trump was expected to transfer to a second plane and continue his journey to Switzerland, but the “minor” hiccup conveniently delayed his arrival at what promises to be an exceptionally frosty reception from European allies he’s been threatening for months.
THE DETAILS: The timing here is… interesting. Trump is heading to Davos amid his ongoing obsession with seizing Greenland from Denmark, which has European leaders furious. Before departing Monday, Trump told reporters: “Let’s put it this way: it’s going to be a very interesting Davos.” When asked how far he’d go to acquire Greenland, he said only: “You’ll find out.”
The delegation includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, chief of staff Susie Wiles, Stephen Miller, and Kevin Hassett—the full MAGA brain trust for what’s essentially a diplomatic showdown with America’s closest allies.
OF COURSE: Leavitt couldn’t resist using the incident to plug Trump’s controversial gift from Qatar’s ruling family—a luxury Boeing 747-8 that drew intense scrutiny when it was presented in 2025. “The Qatari jet was sounding ‘much better’ at that moment,” she quipped to reporters. Nothing says “America First” like joking about accepting planes from foreign monarchies.
BUT BUT BUT: Technical problems on Air Force One are genuinely rare due to meticulous maintenance protocols. The two jets currently serving as presidential aircraft have been flying for nearly four decades, and Boeing’s replacement program has been plagued by delays. Still, this administration has a pattern: in February 2025, a plane carrying Rubio to Germany turned back for mechanical issues. In October, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plane made an emergency landing in Britain due to a cracked windshield.
WHY IT MATTERS: Whether this was a legitimate electrical glitch or a convenient excuse to buy time before facing angry European leaders is impossible to know. What we do know is that Trump is walking into Davos having threatened tariffs on European countries unless they somehow hand over territory that belongs to Denmark. The “minor issue” gave him a few extra hours to prepare—or for European leaders to stew.