President Donald Trump’s flight to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland was forced to return to the U.S. shortly after takeoff Tuesday, due to what the White House called a “minor electrical issue.”
Air Force One was rerouted back to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after the crew identified the issue, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters traveling with the president.
The president and those accompanying him were expected to board a new aircraft and resume the trip to Switzerland, Leavitt said. The White House subsequently said that Air Force One had arrived back at Andrews at 11:07 p.m.
The press secretary made a joke about Trump’s agreement to accept a plane from Qatar to be used as Air Force One, telling reporters the new jet sounds “much better” given the electrical issue.
The technical issue will likely delay Trump’s highly-anticipated speech Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The speech comes amid strained relations with European allies over Trump’s pressure campaign to annex Greenland.