Former President Donald Trump recently claimed that he nearly died in a helicopter crash with Willie Brown, the former San Francisco mayor and ex-boyfriend of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. However, according to a report from The New York Times, this story is nothing more than a “fairy tale.”
During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday, Trump shared the dramatic account in response to a reporter’s question about Harris’ past relationship with Brown and whether it had helped her career.
“Well, I know Willie Brown very well,” Trump began. “In fact, I went down in a helicopter with him. We thought maybe this was the end.” Trump continued, “We were in a helicopter, going to a certain location together, and there was an emergency landing. This was not a pleasant landing.”
Trump added that Brown was visibly worried during the incident. “And Willie was — he was a little concerned,” Trump said. “So I know him, but I know him pretty well. I mean, I haven’t seen him in years. But he told me terrible things about her. But this is what you’re telling me, anyway, I guess. But he had a big part in what happened with Kamala. But he — he, I don’t know, maybe he’s changed his tune. But he — he was not a fan of hers very much, at that point.”
However, the 90-year-old Willie Brown quickly refuted Trump’s version of events, denying ever being in a helicopter with the former president, let alone experiencing a near-death situation.
“You know me well enough to know that if I almost went down in a helicopter with anybody, you would have heard about it,” Brown told The New York Times on Thursday. Brown also reaffirmed his continued support for Harris, noting that the two share “no hard feelings.”
The New York Times further reported that Trump did, in fact, share a helicopter ride in 2018, but not with Willie Brown. Instead, the passengers included former California Governor Jerry Brown and current Governor Gavin Newsom. Both Jerry Brown and Newsom confirmed that no emergency landing took place during the flight. Newsom even humorously dismissed Trump’s claim, saying with a laugh, “I call complete B.S.”