Trump hits NYT while doubling down on near-crash helicopter story

Former President Trump went after The New York Times Friday night, defending his claim that former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown once traveled with him in a helicopter that nearly crashed.

“Two Failing New York Times ‘reporters’ questioned my story about a forced landing of a helicopter, in a field, with former Mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown, and others,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “First of all, it was in New Jersey, not California, and it was Willie Brown, not former Governor Jerry Brown."

"So far they are about as accurate as they are with their other stories about me," he added.

During a press conference Thursday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump said he knew Brown "very well," and then shared the helicopter story that has come under scrutiny.

“In fact, I went down in a helicopter with him, we thought, ‘Maybe this is the end,’” the former president said. “We were in a helicopter, going to a certain location together, and there was an emergency landing. This was not a pleasant landing.”

"He’s just angling for another ride in Trump’s jet (helicopter!). But now Willie doesn’t remember? No, he remembers!” the former president added, referencing a 2011 article he said would back up his claim.

Brown refuted Trump's claims in an interview with local outlet KRON4 Thursday.

“He was doing what Donald does best: his creative fiction,” Brown said, per the outlet.

“And secondly, I don’t think I’d want to ride on the same helicopter with him," he said. "There’s too many people that have an agenda with reference to him, including the people who service helicopters."

The former mayor has come into the spotlight recently as an adviser who helped Vice President Harris kickstart her career in politics. Harris became the Democratic nominee for president earlier this week, after rising through the ranks and locking in key endorsements.

Others have pushed back on the former president's story as well, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who was on the flight. Some have suggested the person on the flight was actually former Gov. Jerry Brown, Newsom's predecessor.

Trump, the GOP nominee, also blasted the Times's reporting on his past presidential races, with the 2024 election now less than three months away.

“So far they are about as accurate as they are with their other stories about me. At least when I became President, the NYT apologized to their readers for their REALLY BAD REPORTING ON THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE,” Trump wrote Friday, pointing specifically to senior political correspondent Maggie Haberman.

“They’ll probably have to do that again, much as Maggot Hagermann should apologize for her Fake & Fraudulent writing on the Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX, along with many other of her poorly written and badly researched stories," he added.

In an earlier Truth Social post Friday night, Trump argued there were logs, maintenance records and witnesses to validate his comments about Brown.

“Why can’t the Radical Left Failing New York Times write accurately, and fairly, on me - See following TRUTH!  Trump wrote Friday. “I only have one major goal in life, and that is to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Wouldn’t that be a good thing for the New York Times. Think of it, THEY COULD BE GREAT AGAIN!”

The Times reported Friday that Trump had a fiery phone call with one of its reporters that day, going after the paper because of reporting on his Thursday press conference. 

The former president also implied that he had plans to divulge the flight records prior to yelling that he was “probably going to sue” the Times over the report, per the outlet.

The Hill has reached out to The New York Times.