Former President Donald Trump’s plane was diverted to Billings, Montana, on Friday for an emergency landing due to a mechanical issue. The aircraft was en route to Bozeman Airport for a rally when it had to change course. Trump was subsequently forced to travel to Bozeman on a private plane to ensure he arrived on time for the event, according to multiple reports.
JUST IN: Donald Trump’s plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Billings, Montana due to a mechanical issue.
The plane was headed to the Bozeman Airport where Trump is holding a rally when it was forced to change course.
Trump is now expected to take a private… pic.twitter.com/I0xm7BNWYv
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 9, 2024
Local news station KTVH reported:
The plane of former president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump landed in Billings, Montana Friday afternoon.
Photos and video sent in by a viewer show the plane landing and taxied on the runway.
According to the Billings Airport, Trump’s plane landed in Billings after a mechanical issue. He is expected to take a private plane now to the Bozeman Airport. Secret Service is doing a complete sweep of the airport here before that takes place.
Trump’s safety has been uppermost in the minds of tens of millions of Americans since last month’s assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pa. And to that horrifying incident, Americans are expressing significant doubts about the official account. A recent TIPP/Daily Mail poll reveals that only a third of respondents believe the gunman acted alone without any broader conspiracy. Meanwhile, 45% suspect a “larger conspiracy,” and 22% remain uncertain. Additionally, over a quarter of those surveyed think there may have been a second shooter involved.
The FBI, leading the official investigation into the shooting, has firmly rejected the second-shooter theory, asserting there is no evidence to suggest that the 20-year-old man who fired eight shots at former President Trump was anything but a lone actor. However, these reassurances have not quelled widespread skepticism, with Republicans in particular expressing more doubt about the official narrative than Democrats, the Washington Times reported.
Among Democrats, some theories suggest that Trump may have “staged” the shooting, orchestrating the event so he was grazed by a bullet while allowing one rallygoer to be killed and two others to be seriously injured. The theory posits that he manipulated a 20-year-old to take the blame and face lethal consequences from countersnipers. Another theory proposes that Trump was not actually hit by a bullet and instead inflicted the injury on himself to create the bloodied ear that has become symbolic of the incident.
Among conservatives, concerns about the shooter’s ability to access a rooftop with a clear line of sight on Trump and fire eight shots have led to theories about a potential conspiracy to leave the Republican presidential nominee unprotected. Some believe there may have been a second shooter stationed on a water tower in addition to the 20-year-old on the rooftop. The survey, conducted this month by TIPP, included 1,488 adults and has a margin of error of ±2.7%, the Times reported.
