Donald Trump Says He Once Feared for His Life when His Helicopter ‘Went Down.’ His ‘Witness’ Says It Never Happened
Trump claims that his helicopter once made an emergency landing while he was flying with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, whom Kamala Harris dated in the '90s — but something about his story isn't adding up
Joe Raedle/Getty
Donald Trump in 2024Donald Trump suggested at a news conference that he once had a bonding moment with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown when a helicopter they were in "went down." The only problem: Brown asserts he's never flown in a helicopter with the former president.
While speaking to reporters on Aug. 8 at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Trump, 78, brought up the fact that Vice President Kamala Harris dated Brown 30 years ago. He then got sidetracked, claiming that he knows Brown, 90, "very well" due to a scary helicopter ride they shared.
"In fact, I went down in a helicopter with him," he said. "We thought maybe this is the end. We were in a helicopter going to a certain location together, and there was an emergency landing. This was not a pleasant landing, and Willie was, he was a little concerned."
"So I know him. I know him pretty well," Trump added. "I mean, I haven’t seen him in years. But he told me terrible things about [Harris]."
Eric Thayer/Getty
Donald Trump boards Marine One as he departs the White House in January 2021After the comment was made, Brown, 90, quickly denied that he and Trump ever found themselves in a situation like that.
“You would have known if I had gone down on a helicopter with Trump,” Brown responded, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “I’ve never been on a helicopter with Trump.”
The former mayor also denied that he has spoken to Trump about Harris. “Hell, no. I wouldn’t say anything bad about any woman to him,” he told the outlet. “I would know better."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
One working theory about Trump's uncorroborated helicopter tale is that he may have been mixing Willie Brown up with another Northern California politician: former California Gov. Jerry Brown.
Trump and Gov. Brown, along with then-Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, flew on a chopper to tour towns damaged by wildfires in November 2018.
Related: Trump Visits California to Survey Fire Damage, Suggests State Focus on 'Raking' Like Finland
Still, representatives for Govs. Brown and Newsom both denied experiencing any danger during their time on the helicopter, according to NBC News.
Regarding the claim that a helicopter carrying Trump ever "went down," Newsom, 56, told The New York Times: “I call complete B.S.”
When asked about the story's inconsistencies, Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Newsmax on Friday: “I would just refer you to President Trump’s statement and what he said yesterday," adding: “The president has a lot of amazing stories from his life.”
On the same day as the Mar-a-Lago news conference, Trump and Harris agreed on a presidential debate to take place on Sept. 10 on ABC, after Trump previously said that he would not attend.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
