An aviation incident took place on Sunday, May 12 at West Palm Beach International Airport, Florida that involved a private Boeing 757 owned by former President Donald Trump. The winglet of Trump’s aircraft came in contact with a stationary corporate jet while being maneuvered on the tarmac.
The aircraft, which is registered under DJT Operations I LLC, a company owned by Trump, was part of the incident. No injuries were reported. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently investigating the incident.
While the full extent of the damage to both aircraft has yet to be disclosed, the FAA has committed to a comprehensive investigation of all aspects of the incident. This includes identifying contributing factors and possible breaches of aviation regulations. The agency has not yet provided a specific time frame for the conclusion of the investigation.
Trump was in West Palm Beach recently for his 18-year-old son Barron’s graduation. Trump has also been a resident of Florida since leaving office, living full-time at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
This aviation incident comes amidst Trump’s ongoing legal issues, which include a high-profile trial in the Manhattan Criminal Court related to accusations of falsifying business records. This trial is currently in progress.
Under New York State law, Trump is required to attend all sessions of his trial. After the first day of court, Trump publicly expressed his disappointment about Judge Juan Merchan’s decision not to permit him to attend Barron’s high school graduation, which was scheduled for May 17.
However, it appears there was some miscommunication, as Judge Merchan never explicitly denied Trump permission to attend his son’s graduation. On April 16, he simply stated he hadn’t yet made a decision regarding the defense’s request to postpone the court session scheduled for May 17. The request was later granted.
Despite expressing a strong desire to attend Barron’s graduation, Trump was not present for the entire day. The Minnesota Republican Party announced that Trump was the keynote speaker at their Lincoln Reagan dinner on May 17.
Trump had the opportunity to attend both events. Barron’s graduation at Oxbridge Academy, a private school in Palm Beach, began at 10 a.m.
It was unlikely that Barron would accompany his father to the dinner on Friday night, as most 18-year-olds probably wouldn’t find celebrating their graduation with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer particularly appealing.
There was speculation that Barron was preparing to get more involved in politics when he was nominated by the Republican Party of Florida to be one of the state’s at-large delegates for the Republican National Convention to be held in Milwaukee in July. However, the Office of Melania Trump clarified two days later that Barron would not be participating, as reported by the Daily Mail. The statement read, “While Barron is flattered to have been selected as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party, he regretfully must decline the opportunity due to previous commitments.” All of Barron’s siblings, with the exception of Ivanka Trump, will serve as delegates.
As the FAA’s investigation into the tarmac collision continues, more details about the incident at West Palm Beach International Airport are expected to emerge. The fact that the aircraft is owned by a high-profile figure like Trump ensures that any updates related to this incident will be closely watched by the public and media.
