Air Force One, which was carrying President Donald Trump to the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland, turned around soon after taking off. The White House pool reported that the plane’s crew discovered a “minor electrical issue” and was returning to Joint Base Andrews as a precaution.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt joked that the Qatari jet that Trump was offered sounded “much better” at the time.
Trump and his staff will fly to Davos on a different plane. He should be back at Joint Base Andrews by 11 p.m., but the delay means he won’t get to Davos for an unknown amount of time.
A camera caught a government motorcade speeding to Joint Base Andrews right after the plane turned around.
Trump is set to speak at Davos on Wednesday, when tensions between the US and Europe are at an all-time high because the US wants Greenland.
The president arrived safely at Davos around 8 am Eastern Time on Wednesday.
As President Trump gets ready to meet with foreign leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday and Thursday, Europe is on edge.
The World Economic Forum is a group based in Switzerland that brings together world leaders in politics, business, academia, and activism every year in Davos to talk about important social, political, and economic issues.
This year, the U.S. and Trump are expected to be the main topics of conversation. People from Germany, France, Norway, and other countries are expected to come.
Trump has warned European allies that they need to reach a deal on Greenland by February 1 or face consequences.
There are calls for the U.S. to buy Greenland and threats of tariffs hanging over the event. If there is no deal by February, goods from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom will be taxed at 10%.
If there is still no deal by June 1, the taxes will go up to 25%.
Top European leaders have refused to meet Trump’s demands to make a deal on Greenland, saying that NATO allies can work together to keep the Arctic safe.
Greenland is a Danish territory that runs its own affairs. It is located in the Arctic Circle between North America and Europe.
Trump wants to buy the island, which is the biggest in the world, for national security reasons, because Russia and China are becoming more active in the Arctic.
During the Cold War, Greenland was an important outpost because it was on the shortest routes between North America and the Soviet Union. This made it easier to find missiles quickly.
The World Economic Forum started on Monday. Some European leaders are worried about their ties with the U.S. because of threats of tariffs.
The threats come after the U.S. and EU agreed on a full trade framework in 2025 that set a 15% tariff on most EU exports.
“The European Union and the United States agreed to a trade deal last July,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said from Davos on Monday, according to The Associated Press. “And in politics as in business, a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it must mean something.”
“We consider the people of the United States not just our allies, but our friends. And plunging us into a downward spiral would only aid the very adversaries we are both so committed to keeping out of the strategic landscape,” she added.
