President Obama’s limousine, the armored vehicle known as “The Beast,” broke down today at Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, after being wrongly filled with diesel instead of gasoline.
According to the Times of Israel, the vehicle would not start, and another presidential limousine was flown in as a replacement.
Secret Service spokesperson Edwin Donovan addressed the issue this morning, saying the Service “did not have a read on what the specific issue is at this point.” He noted the incident happened before President Obama’s arrival, and that his itinerary was not affected:
One of our protective vehicles experienced mechanical problems in Israel earlier today. This is why we bring multiple vehicles and a mechanic on all trips. Situations like this are planned for extensively by our advance teams so that the President’s itinerary is unaffected by these types of issues.
The president is in Israel for a two-day visit.
