Trump said he ‘went down’ in helicopter 'emergency landing' with former San Francisco mayor, who says it never happened

Republican presidential nominee former U.S. president Donald Trump talks about the size of the room as he speaks to reporters during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Former U.S. president Donald Trump recounted a story to reporters on Thursday about being involved in a helicopter emergency landing with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.

Asked by a reporter about U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ previous relationship with Brown and whether it helped her career trajectory, Trump said he knew Brown “very well” and told a story about the alleged helicopter incident.

“I know Willie Brown very well. In fact, I went down in a helicopter with him. We thought maybe this is the end. We were in a helicopter going to a certain location together, and there was an emergency landing,” Trump told reporters gathered at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for his first news conference since the Democratic ticket was announced.

“This was not a pleasant landing, and Willie was, he was a little concerned. So I know him, I know him pretty well. I mean, I haven’t seen him in years,” Trump continued.

Brown, however, rejected Trump’s account as “obviously wrong” during a phone call later Thursday with CNN, saying: “I’ve never been in a helicopter with him in my life.”

“He is trying his best to get some way to degrade Kamala,” the former mayor also said of Trump and his Democratic rival for the presidency. “There is no reason why her name ought to be mentioned anywhere near his lies, period.”

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Asked about Brown’s rebuttal of the former president’s narrative, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung only responded, “Slick Willie!”

Brown reiterated Friday that he had never flown on a helicopter with Trump, telling CNN’s John Berman he has “no idea” what Trump was talking about.

“Never happened, period,” Brown said. “And I think my memory is probably better than his.”

A Trump campaign senior adviser on Friday pointed CNN to a story by The New York Times that noted Trump had told the story before in his 2023 book, “Letters to Trump,” which featured correspondence between himself and Brown.

The Times reported Thursday that the former president apparently confused Willie Brown with former California Gov. Jerry Brown, with whom he toured wildfire damage by helicopter in November 2018.

A spokesperson for Jerry Brown told the Times that “there was no emergency landing and no discussion of Kamala Harris.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who also toured the wildfires in 2018 as governor-elect, said of Trump’s account, “I call complete B.S.,” according to the Times.

“I was on a helicopter with Jerry Brown and Trump, and it didn’t go down,” Newsom told the Times, saying that Trump repeatedly brought up the possibility of crashing.

Trump doubled down on the story Friday, claiming he had not confused the former San Francisco mayor with the former California governor. “First of all, it was in New Jersey, not California, and it was Willie Brown, not former Governor Jerry Brown,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

Trump did not provide additional details on the alleged meeting.

Right-wing media figures have before denigrated Harris as a “mistress” for her previous relationship with Brown – despite it having occurred after Brown was separated from his wife and was not a secret – among other attacks.

Trump during Thursday’s news conference claimed Willie Brown was “not a fan” of Harris and that he had told him “terrible things” about her.

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Asked about those claims, Brown told CNN: “No. Why would I? Give me a break, please.”

Brown added Friday of Harris: “You’ve got to know that she served California extremely well. She defeated an incumbent district attorney in this city because the people loved her, and she performed very well.”

CNN’s Tori B. Powell, Alayna Treene and Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.

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