Donald Trump‘s helicopter has been forced to make an emergency landing with the US President and Melania on board.
The presidential chopper suffered a hydraulic issue on its way back from Chequers, where Mr Trump had been meeting Sir Keir Starmer for a joint press conference.
Mr Trump, who has been visiting the UK for a historic second state visit, arrived at London Stansted 20 minutes behind schedule.
It is understood that the helicopter landed at Luton Airport – where the President and First Lady were transferred onto a second ‘support’ chopper.
The couple then boarded Air Force One for their return journey back to the White House following the historic visit.
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.
‘The president and first lady were later able to board Air Force One for the return journey from the UK.’
President Donald Trump’s helicopters, known as Marine One and Marine Two are seen at Luton Airport after reportedly having to make an emergency landing
Donald Trump ‘s helicopter has been forced to make an emergency landing with the US President and Melania on board. He is pictured at Stansted Airport earlier today
A helicopter believed to be carrying US President Donald Trump is seen departing from Windsor Castle hours before the emergency landing
Keir Starmer boasted of a ‘renewed’ Special Relationship today as he runs the gauntlet of a joint press conference with Donald Trump
It comes after Trump and Sir Keir Starmer met at a joint press conference at Chequers today where they discussed the small boats crisis.
The US President, whose harsh border controls have slashed illegal migration to near zero, said the UK was now facing a ‘very similar’ problem in the Channel and had to take much tougher action.
Mr Trump also hailed the ‘incredible bond’ between Britain and the US – and spoke at length about his love for ‘these beautiful isles’.
But he warned that Britain cannot afford to carry with its softly-softly approach to the Channel crisis and disagreed with his host’s stance on a number of issues.
Mr Trump said huge numbers of foreign criminals, gangsters and mental patients had been entering the US illegally until he took drastic action, including deporting some to hellhole jails in El Salvador.
The President, whose mother was born in Scotland, added: ‘I think your situation is very similar. You have people coming in and I told the Prime Minister I would stop it, and it doesn’t matter if you call out the military, it doesn’t matter what means you use.
‘It destroys countries from within.’
Sir Keir insisted that Labour was taking the Channel crisis seriously.
He said there was no ‘silver bullet’ but trumpeted the fact the first migrant was finally sent back to France on Thursday under a new ‘one in, one out’ deal following more than 30,000 arrivals this year.
Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump walk across the tarmac from the Marine One helicopter toward Air Force One at Stansted Airport
Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump gesture as they board Air Force One to depart from London Stansted Airport
But he also faced barbs from Mr Trump over Gaza, Net Zero and North Sea oil.
During a 45-minute press conference at the PM’s country retreat:
- Mr Trump told Sir Keir to scale back Labour’s controversial Net Zero target and ‘drill, baby, drill’.
- The President dismissed the UK’s focus on wind farms as ‘a disaster’ and a ‘very expensive joke’.
- Sir Keir squirmed when asked about Lord Mandelson, while the US President denied ever knowing the disgraced former US ambassador, despite welcoming him into the White House just nine days earlier.
- Mr Trump publicly criticised Sir Keir’s impending decision to recognise a Palestine state, suggesting it would not help release Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
- He also said Vladimir Putin had ‘really let me down’ as he hinted at fresh sanctions to force the Russian tyrant to the negotiating table.
- The two leaders signed a technology deal which will bring £150 billion investment to the UK – but gave no details of the concessions Britain has offered in return.
- Mr Trump revealed the US is trying to take the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan to bring Chinese nuclear facilities within bombing range.
Thursday’s press conference in the historic Great Hall at Chequers came at the end of a two-day state visit that saw Mr Trump lavished with pomp and ceremony, including a glittering state dinner at Windsor Castle.
Downing Street had been fretting for days that the event would be overshadowed by the controversy over Sir Keir’s decision to sack Lord Mandelson over his friendship with notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
This is a breaking news story – more to follow
