Disgraced felon and former President Donald Trump’s campaign faced an unexpected and embarrassing transportation challenge on Aug. 12 after its regular airplane, “Trump Force One,” encountered mechanical problems and was put out of commission. In a scramble to find an alternative, the campaign ended up using a plane that was once owned by the convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The incident came to light after a social media user tracked the airplane’s tail number used by Trump on Aug. 10, sparking online discussions about the aircraft’s former ownership on the X app.
The
campaign reportedly used the replacement plane in an emergency on Saturday to attend a Montana rally, followed by Wyoming and Colorado fundraisers. According to a campaign official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, they were unaware of the plane’s previous ownership. “We had absolutely no idea,” the official stated.The airplane involved in Trump’s transportation debacle is not the infamous “Lolita Express,” the aircraft Epstein allegedly used to transport young girls to his private island. That notorious airplane has since been destroyed. However, the situation has drawn attention due to Trump’s past social connections with Epstein, although there is no evidence that Trump was aware
of Epstein’s illegal activities. Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in a Manhattan jail.