...
By Anna Commander
News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
President Donald Trump has landed back in the United States aboard Air Force One, after the plane was forced to reverse its path around mid-flight en route to Switzerland.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment late Tuesday night.
Read More on News
Why It Matters
Each of the two Boeing 747 aircraft serving as Air Force One have flown for nearly four decades, and the replacement program has faced delays, The Associated Press (AP) reports.
What To Know
Rapid Response 47 posted to X on Tuesday night, saying, "After takeoff, the AF1 crew identified a minor electrical issue. Out of an abundance of caution, AF1 is returning to Joint Base Andrews. The president and team will board a different aircraft and continue on to Switzerland."
Rapid Response 47 previously noted the president's trip on X Tuesday night: "POTUS boards Air Force One for Davos, Switzerland—where he'll meet with world leaders and deliver remarks at the World Economic Forum."
According to the AP, the lights in the press cabin of Air Force One inexplicably went out briefly after takeoff. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt joked that a jet the Qatari ruling family gifted the president last year was sounding “much better” right now, according to the news outlet.
Air Force One was seen on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Tuesday after landing at 11 p.m.
According to the White House press pool, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, chief of staff Susie Wiles, Leavitt and other administration officials were on board, CBS News correspondent Ed O'Keefe noted on X.
...
What Will Trump Speak About at Davos?
Trump is expected to focus his Davos address on housing‑market reforms, outlining plans to curb large institutional home purchases and direct government‑backed entities to buy mortgage bonds to bring down borrowing costs, according to Investopedia and AP.
The White House has also indicated he will use the platform to expand his proposed “Board of Peace” beyond Gaza, with a draft charter giving him veto power over every decision, while selectively courting countries to join, despite skepticism from several European governments, Axios reported.
In the run‑up to the forum, Trump has put Greenland back at the center of his foreign‑policy messaging—posting memes and AI‑generated images implying U.S. territorial claims over Greenland and Canada, leaking private texts from French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte, and issuing tariff threats against allied nations refusing to hand control of Greenland to Washington.
What People Are Saying
**President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday night: "**America will be well represented in Davos—by me. GOD BLESS YOU ALL! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP"
Mirek Dušek, a World Economic Forum (WEF) managing director in charge of programming, said: “It’s really going to be a discussion at a very important moment…geopolitics is changing.”
Mirjam Hostetmann, president of Switzerland's Young Socialists, who are against the event, said: “It is worrying how Swiss politicians are courting warmongers and their profiteers in Davos. The WEF will never bring peace, but will only fuel escalation.”
Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at the liberal Groundwork Collaborative, said: “At the end of the day, it’s the investors and billionaires at Davos who have [Trump's] attention, not the families struggling to afford their bills.”
What Happens Next
Trump is still expected to continue to Switzerland and speak at the World Economic Forum. The president has not publicly commented on the mid-flight disruption as of 11:47 p.m. ET on January 20.
Update 1/20/26, 11:47 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 1/21/26, 1:59 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines