A viral post shared on X claims 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump’s plane couldn’t land in Bozeman, Montana, ahead of a scheduled campaign rally because Trump purportedly owes the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport over $12,000 in landing fees.

Trump couldn’t land his plane in Bozeman because he owes that airport over $12,000 in landing fees. pic.twitter.com/63C2cnCO53

— Joe G (@EastEndJoe) August 10, 2024

Verdict: False

The claim is false. A spokesperson for Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and owner of X, is set to interview Trump on the social media platform on August 12, according to Reuters. The interview is set to take place at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, the outlet reported.

The X post, viewed over 300,000 times as of writing, claims Trump’s plane couldn’t land in Bozeman, Montana because Trump purportedly owes the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport over $12,000 in landing fees. The post includes a photo that appears to show Trump’s plane attached to the back of a tow truck.

The claim is false. Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. In fact, the opposite is true. On August 11, Lead Stories reported the claim was false. Likewise, according to The Associated Press, Trump’s plane was diverted from Bozeman to Billings due to a “mechanical issue.”

Additionally, Trump has not repeated the viral X post’s claim via his official website, his verified social media accounts, or his TRUTH Social account. Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, has not publicly commented on the claim, either. (RELATED: Viral Image Of Trump Posing With Black Female Supporters Is AI-Generated)

Furthermore, Brian Sprenger, the president and CEO of Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

“We are aware of the false information circulating that Former President Trump’s plane was forced to land in Billings due to unpaid bills. There are no outstanding bills owed [to] BZN by either Former President Trump or his campaign. The aircraft diverted due to mechanical reasons,” Sprenger said.

Check Your Fact has also contacted Cheung for comment.