Former President Donald Trump recounted an unusual story to reporters on Thursday, claiming that he was once involved in an emergency helicopter landing with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown during a press conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, his first since the Democratic ticket was announced.
When asked by a reporter about Vice President Kamala Harris‘ past relationship with Brown, Trump responded, “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.”
“This was not a pleasant landing, and Willie was, he was a little concerned. So I know him, I know him pretty well. I mean, I haven’t seen him in years.”
ALSO READ| Trump campaign targeting younger male voters to edge out Kamala Harris in November
Brown quickly rejected Trump’s account as completely false
Brown refuted Trump’s claim in a hole call with CNN, “I’ve never been in a helicopter with him in my life.”
“He is trying his best to get some way to degrade Kamala,” Brown said. “There is no reason why her name ought to be mentioned anywhere near his lies, period.”
Brown further emphasized his position on Friday, telling CNN’s John Berman that he had “no idea” what Trump was talking about. “Never happened, period,” Brown stated. “And I think my memory is probably better than his.”
Amid the confusion, a Trump campaign senior adviser pointed to a story from The New York Times, which reported that Trump had previously told a similar story in his 2023 book, Letters to Trump, featuring correspondence between himself and Brown. However, the Times suggested that Trump might have confused Willie Brown with former California Governor Jerry Brown, with whom Trump toured wildfire damage by helicopter in November 2018.
ALSO READ| JD Vance’s dramatic weight loss raises eyebrows online: ‘Sponsored by Ozempic,’ say netizens
Despite this, Trump doubled down on his story on Friday, claiming he had not confused the two men. Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump insisted, “First of all, it was in New Jersey, not California, and it was Willie Brown, not former Governor Jerry Brown.”
The Times also reported that California Governor Gavin Newsom, who was part of the 2018 wildfire tour, debunked Trump’s story. “I call complete B.S.,” Newsom told the Times, adding that “I was on a helicopter with Jerry Brown and Trump, and it didn’t go down.” Newsom also mentioned that Trump.
