ST. CROIX — Air Force One landed shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday at Rohlsen Airport and within minutes, the first family was whisked away into a waiting Suburban parked near the large plane.
Local reporters, bloggers and some residents, including Tionee Scotland, spokeswoman for V.I. Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett, began gathering as early as 6 p.m. because President Joe Biden’s flight plans released to media initially stated that he was to arrive shortly before 9 p.m. A White House statement earlier in the day announced that the new arrival time would be 11:10 p.m.
Despite the late arrival, residents lined the streets near Enfield Green to watch as Air Force One arrived at Rohlsen Airport. Biden’s entourage included hundreds of Secret Service agents, and a few sharpshooters stood guard on the roof of the Port Authority’s former fire station. The Bidens descended from the front end of the plane and a group of reporters from networks including FOX, ABC and CNN were in tow; one reported that The Beast was not brought to the island, citing the poor state of the roads and the potential negative impact on the fortified presidential vehicle.
The White House has not released the Bidens’ itinerary.
