Mechanical issue, not debt, caused Trump plane to land in Billings, Montana | Fact check
The claim: Trump couldn’t land in Bozeman, Montana, because he owed the airport $12,000
An Aug. 10 Threads post (direct link, archive link) claims former President Donald Trump’s flight was diverted in Montana over unpaid bills.
“Now we know the real reason Trump landed in Billings, Montana, and then drove 2 hours to Bozeman,” reads the post. “He couldn’t land at Bozeman because the lifelong conman still owes the airport $12,000 from the 2020 election.”
The post was shared more than 1,000 times in four days. Other versions of the claim spread widely on Facebook and X, formerly Twitter.
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Our rating: False
The Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport said Trump does not owe the airport any money. Mechanical problems prompted a landing in Billings, Montana, instead of the planned destination. Trump flew from Billings, Montana, to Bozeman, Montana, in a private charter, a City of Billings spokesperson said.
Missoula County invoiced Trump for 2018 visits
Trump’s flight to Bozeman for a campaign rally was diverted on Aug. 9 because of a mechanical issue, as reported by outlets including the Associated Press and The Washington Post.
He landed instead at the Billings Logan International Airport, City of Billings spokesperson Victoria Hill told USA TODAY. The airport is more than 125 miles east of Trump’s original destination.
Bozeman airport officials said the claim that financial issues prompted the diversion is false in an Aug. 11 X post.
“There are no outstanding bills owed BZN by either former President Trump or his campaign,” the post said.
It reiterated that the destination change happened because of "mechanical reasons," though it did not specify what those were.
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The Threads post is also wrong in claiming Trump drove to his original destination. Rather, he “chartered a flight through one of the airport’s private fix-based operators,” Hill said.
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung also told USA TODAY the Threads claim is “fake news.”
A Montana county has, however, invoiced Trump's team for roughly the amount referenced in the post.
Missoula County officials requested more than $12,000 from the Trump campaign in 2018 for security and other costs related to his visits, as reported by NBC Montana. Missoula County spokesperson Allison Franz said the invoice, for $12,922.82, is still unpaid. But she said the county had “no involvement with Trump’s visit to Bozeman.”
USA TODAY has debunked an array of claims about Trump, including false assertions that he froze during his Montana rally, that Project 2025 is his plan for a second presidency and that he told Time magazine he’d force government monitoring on “every pregnant woman” if re-elected.
USA TODAY reached out to users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Lead Stories also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
Allison Franz, Aug. 13, Email exchange with USA TODAY
Steven Cheung, Aug. 13, Email exchange with USA TODAY
Victoria Hill, Aug. 13, Email exchange with USA TODAY
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, Aug. 11, X post
Associated Press, Aug. 10, Donald Trump headlines Montana rally after plane was diverted but landed safely
NBC Montana, Aug. 9, Trump's Bozeman rally highlights unpaid costs from past Montana visits
The Washington Post, Aug. 9, Trump plane diverted ahead of Montana rally
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No, Trump plane diversion was not because of unpaid bills | Fact check
