Former U.S. president Donald Trump recounted a story to reporters on Thursday about being involved in a helicopter emergency landing with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.

Asked by a reporter about U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris鈥� previous relationship with Brown and whether it helped her career trajectory, Trump said he knew Brown 鈥渧ery well鈥� and told a story about the alleged helicopter incident.

鈥淚 know Willie Brown very well. In fact, I went down in a helicopter with him. We thought maybe this is the end. We were in a helicopter going to a certain location together, and there was an emergency landing,鈥� Trump told reporters gathered at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for his first news conference since the Democratic ticket was announced.

鈥淭his was not a pleasant landing, and Willie was, he was a little concerned. So I know him, I know him pretty well. I mean, I haven鈥檛 seen him in years,鈥� Trump continued.

Brown, however, rejected Trump鈥檚 account as 鈥渙bviously wrong鈥� during a phone call later Thursday with CNN, saying: 鈥淚鈥檝e never been in a helicopter with him in my life.鈥�

鈥淗e is trying his best to get some way to degrade Kamala,鈥� the former mayor also said of Trump and his Democratic rival for the presidency. 鈥淭here is no reason why her name ought to be mentioned anywhere near his lies, period.鈥�

Asked about Brown鈥檚 rebuttal of the former president鈥檚 narrative, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung only responded, 鈥淪lick Willie!鈥�

Brown reiterated Friday that he had never flown on a helicopter with Trump, telling CNN鈥檚 John Berman he has 鈥渘o idea鈥� what Trump was talking about.

鈥淣ever happened, period,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淎nd I think my memory is probably better than his.鈥�

A Trump campaign senior adviser on Friday pointed CNN to a story by The New York Times that noted Trump had told the story before in his 2023 book, 鈥淟etters to Trump,鈥� which featured correspondence between himself and Brown.

The Times reported Thursday that the former president apparently confused Willie Brown with former California Gov. Jerry Brown, with whom he toured wildfire damage by helicopter in November 2018.

A spokesperson for Jerry Brown told the Times that 鈥渢here was no emergency landing and no discussion of Kamala Harris.鈥�

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who also toured the wildfires in 2018 as governor-elect, said of Trump鈥檚 account, 鈥淚 call complete B.S.,鈥� according to the Times.

鈥淚 was on a helicopter with Jerry Brown and Trump, and it didn鈥檛 go down,鈥� Newsom told the Times, saying that Trump repeatedly brought up the possibility of crashing.

Trump doubled down on the story Friday, claiming he had not confused the former San Francisco mayor with the former California governor. 鈥淔irst of all, it was in New Jersey, not California, and it was Willie Brown, not former Governor Jerry Brown,鈥� Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

Trump did not provide additional details on the alleged meeting.

Right-wing media figures have before denigrated Harris as a 鈥渕istress鈥� for her previous relationship with Brown 鈥� despite it having occurred after Brown was separated from his wife and was not a secret 鈥� among other attacks.

Trump during Thursday鈥檚 news conference claimed Willie Brown was 鈥渘ot a fan鈥� of Harris and that he had told him 鈥渢errible things鈥� about her.

Asked about those claims, Brown told CNN: 鈥淣o. Why would I? Give me a break, please.鈥�

Brown added Friday of Harris: 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to know that she served California extremely well. She defeated an incumbent district attorney in this city because the people loved her, and she performed very well.鈥�

CNN鈥檚 Tori B. Powell, Alayna Treene and Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.