Trump's Air Force One decoy story exposes another big lie: analysis
U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his administration attend a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 29, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his administration attend a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 29, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
August 11, 2026
ALTERNET
The new report about President Donald Trump's plane switcharoo inadvertently revealed a discrepancy in one of the administration's previous claims about Iran's military capabilities.
The administration, including the Secretary of Defense, claimed in March 2026 that the U.S. was quickly able to achieve "uncontested airspace" in Iran and total control over the skies there.
"This is not [an] endless nation-building ... quagmire — it's not even close," Pete Hegseth said during a briefing on March 10. "Our generation of soldiers will not let that happen again, and nor will this president — who very clearly ran against ... never-ending, nebulously scoped missions; those days are dead. Instead, we're winning decisively with brutal efficiency, total air dominance and an unbreakable will to accomplish the president's objectives on our timeline."
“We literally have planes flying over Tehran and other parts of their country; they can’t do a thing about it,” Trump claimed March 24.
As TIME reported in April, Trump claimed that Iran doesn’t “have any spotters, they don't have anti-aircraft, they don't have radar." He went on to say that U.S. aircraft were “just floating over the top looking for whatever we want, and we're hitting it."
Then two American planes were downed within hours of each other.
"An F-15E fighter jet was shot down over southern Iran on the same day as the Iranian military claimed it brought down an A-10 Thunderbolt with a surface-to-air missile near the Strait of Hormuz," the report recalled.
The U.S. then rushed a search and rescue mission.
CNN's Aaron Blake noted on X that Trump's recent revelations about Air Force One deliver further evidence that the U.S. doesn't have any control over Iran or its skies.
"It sharply undercuts what Trump and Hegseth claimed about Iran's capabilities. They have said Iran had no ability to shoot down aircraft, citing 'uncontested airspace.' That's a far cry from fearing Iran could take down AF1 over Turkey," said Blake
Trump has claimed that Iran has "no navy,” “no military,” “no air force” and “no anti-aircraft systems." Yet, Iran has been able to scare Trump into flying in a decoy plane, and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, despite the U.S. deploying more than 20 warships to the Middle East region to maintain a naval presence, U.S. Central Command posted to X in July.
Former Naval War College Professor Tom Nichols wrote in July that the American people deserve to know the truth about what's happening in the war and these details are merely part of a larger attempt by the administration to hide their missteps.
"This opacity seems to be by design: The president and his lieutenants appear unwilling to admit that they started, and are now losing, a war with one of America’s most dedicated enemies, and obfuscating probably seems less damaging than admitting this painful truth. Of course, some of their statements are merely mistakes. Some are spin. Others are exaggerations. But many of them are flat lies that Trump and his appointees dump into the public square seemingly without hesitation," wrote Nichols.
The new report about President Donald Trump's plane switcharoo inadvertently revealed a discrepancy in one of the administration's previous claims about Iran's military capabilities.
The administration, including the Secretary of Defense, claimed in March 2026 that the U.S. was quickly able to achieve "uncontested airspace" in Iran and total control over the skies there.
"This is not [an] endless nation-building ... quagmire — it's not even close," Pete Hegseth said during a briefing on March 10. "Our generation of soldiers will not let that happen again, and nor will this president — who very clearly ran against ... never-ending, nebulously scoped missions; those days are dead. Instead, we're winning decisively with brutal efficiency, total air dominance and an unbreakable will to accomplish the president's objectives on our timeline."
“We literally have planes flying over Tehran and other parts of their country; they can’t do a thing about it,” Trump claimed March 24.
As TIME reported in April, Trump claimed that Iran doesn’t “have any spotters, they don't have anti-aircraft, they don't have radar." He went on to say that U.S. aircraft were “just floating over the top looking for whatever we want, and we're hitting it."
Then two American planes were downed within hours of each other.
"An F-15E fighter jet was shot down over southern Iran on the same day as the Iranian military claimed it brought down an A-10 Thunderbolt with a surface-to-air missile near the Strait of Hormuz," the report recalled.
The U.S. then rushed a search and rescue mission.
CNN's Aaron Blake noted on X that Trump's recent revelations about Air Force One deliver further evidence that the U.S. doesn't have any control over Iran or its skies.
"It sharply undercuts what Trump and Hegseth claimed about Iran's capabilities. They have said Iran had no ability to shoot down aircraft, citing 'uncontested airspace.' That's a far cry from fearing Iran could take down AF1 over Turkey," said Blake
Trump has claimed that Iran has "no navy,” “no military,” “no air force” and “no anti-aircraft systems." Yet, Iran has been able to scare Trump into flying in a decoy plane, and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, despite the U.S. deploying more than 20 warships to the Middle East region to maintain a naval presence, U.S. Central Command posted to X in July.
Former Naval War College Professor Tom Nichols wrote in July that the American people deserve to know the truth about what's happening in the war and these details are merely part of a larger attempt by the administration to hide their missteps.
"This opacity seems to be by design: The president and his lieutenants appear unwilling to admit that they started, and are now losing, a war with one of America’s most dedicated enemies, and obfuscating probably seems less damaging than admitting this painful truth. Of course, some of their statements are merely mistakes. Some are spin. Others are exaggerations. But many of them are flat lies that Trump and his appointees dump into the public square seemingly without hesitation," wrote Nichols.
Former staffer mocks 'coward' Trump with photo of him hiding in a catering cart
Image via Gage Skidmore/Flickr.
President Donald Trump’s former White House communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, has emerged as a frequent critic during the Republican’s second term. Perhaps this is why — in light of the news that after an assassination threat Trump switched planes, hid in a catering cart and used a separate plane containing reporters as a decoy — Scaramucci led the pack on X in ridiculing Trump as a “coward.”
“This image of Trump in the catering cart is going to be hard to shake,” Scaramucci tweeted, showing an image of Trump hiding in a cart that has not been confirmed. “You know he’s livid that it got out. If he wasn’t a coward, he would’ve told them, no chance I’m doing that.”
George Conway, a former Republican attorney who was also married to Trump's first term counsel Kellyanne Conway, took a swipe at Trump's weight with his own comment. While retweeting former President Barack Obama's NSC staffer Tommy Vietor saying "the mental image of Trump hiding from Iran in a catering cart is devastating. A weak, stupid old man hiding from the consequences of his own decision while endangering others," Conway added, "Agree. But also, I’m incredibly impressed with the physical strength and toughness of the catering cart. Wow."
Similarly Democratic strategist Christopher Webb exulted in Trump’s perceived embarrassing story, showing a montage of images purportedly showing him in various carts while posting “the catering cart memes are doing me in.”
He added, “Please add any I missed in the replies. We need this laugh.”
Speaking to AlterNet, psychiatrist Dr. Henry Abraham — formerly a professor at Tufts University and lead author of a letter earlier this year signed by three dozen medical professionals warning of the president's apparent cognitive decline — clarified that Trump’s decision to risk the lives of journalists to save himself should be viewed through the lens of his apparent narcissism.
“Calling him a coward is a moral judgment, it's not a term of art in psychology,” Abraham told AlterNet. “There's no disease called cowardice. But it is cowardly.”
Instead he clarified that Trump was willing to harm other people merely to save his own life stems from his psychological inability to empathize with others, especially those he perceives as enemies.
“He has narcissistic entitlement because he's the president,” Abraham explained. “He is entitled to be protected, but he's throwing the press corps potentially to the wolves. Is this an unethical behavior? Yes. Is this cowardly? Sure. What is the psychological underpinning of this? Well, his degree of self-absorption and his inability to have empathy with the potential risks, dangers, and suffering of others. That's who he is.”
For his part, Scaramucci had a similar observation in July about Trump. While he didn’t assess the president in clinical terms, he noted that people who work for the president do not like him personally.
“Here's what I've observed about everyone around Trump,” Scaramucci posted on X. “Nobody likes him. I don't think his family members like him. I don't think his cabinet members really like him. They kiss his a—— because he's powerful.”
Scaramucci added, “The people who genuinely like him are one or two electron orbits away, close enough to feel the warmth, far enough to avoid the heat. I don't know a single person in his inner circle who came out unscathed.”
Image via Gage Skidmore/Flickr.
August 11, 2026
ALTERNET
President Donald Trump’s former White House communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, has emerged as a frequent critic during the Republican’s second term. Perhaps this is why — in light of the news that after an assassination threat Trump switched planes, hid in a catering cart and used a separate plane containing reporters as a decoy — Scaramucci led the pack on X in ridiculing Trump as a “coward.”
“This image of Trump in the catering cart is going to be hard to shake,” Scaramucci tweeted, showing an image of Trump hiding in a cart that has not been confirmed. “You know he’s livid that it got out. If he wasn’t a coward, he would’ve told them, no chance I’m doing that.”
George Conway, a former Republican attorney who was also married to Trump's first term counsel Kellyanne Conway, took a swipe at Trump's weight with his own comment. While retweeting former President Barack Obama's NSC staffer Tommy Vietor saying "the mental image of Trump hiding from Iran in a catering cart is devastating. A weak, stupid old man hiding from the consequences of his own decision while endangering others," Conway added, "Agree. But also, I’m incredibly impressed with the physical strength and toughness of the catering cart. Wow."
Similarly Democratic strategist Christopher Webb exulted in Trump’s perceived embarrassing story, showing a montage of images purportedly showing him in various carts while posting “the catering cart memes are doing me in.”
He added, “Please add any I missed in the replies. We need this laugh.”
Speaking to AlterNet, psychiatrist Dr. Henry Abraham — formerly a professor at Tufts University and lead author of a letter earlier this year signed by three dozen medical professionals warning of the president's apparent cognitive decline — clarified that Trump’s decision to risk the lives of journalists to save himself should be viewed through the lens of his apparent narcissism.
“Calling him a coward is a moral judgment, it's not a term of art in psychology,” Abraham told AlterNet. “There's no disease called cowardice. But it is cowardly.”
Instead he clarified that Trump was willing to harm other people merely to save his own life stems from his psychological inability to empathize with others, especially those he perceives as enemies.
“He has narcissistic entitlement because he's the president,” Abraham explained. “He is entitled to be protected, but he's throwing the press corps potentially to the wolves. Is this an unethical behavior? Yes. Is this cowardly? Sure. What is the psychological underpinning of this? Well, his degree of self-absorption and his inability to have empathy with the potential risks, dangers, and suffering of others. That's who he is.”
For his part, Scaramucci had a similar observation in July about Trump. While he didn’t assess the president in clinical terms, he noted that people who work for the president do not like him personally.
“Here's what I've observed about everyone around Trump,” Scaramucci posted on X. “Nobody likes him. I don't think his family members like him. I don't think his cabinet members really like him. They kiss his a—— because he's powerful.”
Scaramucci added, “The people who genuinely like him are one or two electron orbits away, close enough to feel the warmth, far enough to avoid the heat. I don't know a single person in his inner circle who came out unscathed.”
August 11, 2026
ALTERNET
President Donald Trump’s elaborate switcheroo to avoid getting blown up by Iranians appears to have included his favorite blonde flatterer.
The Mirror reports sleuths believe the president cherry-picked his personal staff favorites to sneak off with him after threats from Iran put his luxurious Qatari plane at deadly risk. He then abandoned the leftovers to the Qatari “bait plane” to draw attack.
“Those included his aides Natalie Harp and Walt Nauta,” reports the Mirror — but that short list did not include top cabinet members like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as well as members of the media.
Harp, sometimes referred to as President Donald Trump's "most beautiful aide," has been blistered social media as the aging president progressively mumbles, rambles and nods off throughout his day.
“Users on social media dubbed Harp the president's "diaper nurse," a dig at his age, 80, as he is one of the oldest presidents in American history,” reported the Irish Star. “The accusations of Trump wearing a diaper were lobbed when Trump was seen standing alongside Spain Sunday as they lifted the World Cup trophy.
The relationship has become so “nursey” that Snopes had to try to debunk claims that Harp is actually Trump’s “hospice nurse,” based upon the fact that Harp has no record of being a licensed nurse in Washington, D.C. or in Florida.
Nevertheless, Harp is gaining attention after reports came out about her fawning relationship with the commander-in-chief. As Trump continues to decline, critics are taking to social media with conspiracy theories to explain their relationship. The jabs came fast after explosive new claims emerged about the pair's proximity. The latest disclosures from Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, painted a picture of Harp as one of the most influential figures in Trump's administration. The book -- by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan -- claims Harp even leaves deeply personal letters for the aging president to discover in his private spaces. In one, she reportedly wrote, "You are all that matters to me."
A former television presenter for the One American Network, Harp earned the colorful nickname "The Human Printer" for her habit of printing out social media posts and news articles for President Trump.
She is even frequently seen trailing after Trump with a portable printer, ensuring he has easy access to favorable media coverage and praise about himself.
President Donald Trump’s elaborate switcheroo to avoid getting blown up by Iranians appears to have included his favorite blonde flatterer.
The Mirror reports sleuths believe the president cherry-picked his personal staff favorites to sneak off with him after threats from Iran put his luxurious Qatari plane at deadly risk. He then abandoned the leftovers to the Qatari “bait plane” to draw attack.
“Those included his aides Natalie Harp and Walt Nauta,” reports the Mirror — but that short list did not include top cabinet members like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as well as members of the media.
Harp, sometimes referred to as President Donald Trump's "most beautiful aide," has been blistered social media as the aging president progressively mumbles, rambles and nods off throughout his day.
“Users on social media dubbed Harp the president's "diaper nurse," a dig at his age, 80, as he is one of the oldest presidents in American history,” reported the Irish Star. “The accusations of Trump wearing a diaper were lobbed when Trump was seen standing alongside Spain Sunday as they lifted the World Cup trophy.
The relationship has become so “nursey” that Snopes had to try to debunk claims that Harp is actually Trump’s “hospice nurse,” based upon the fact that Harp has no record of being a licensed nurse in Washington, D.C. or in Florida.
Nevertheless, Harp is gaining attention after reports came out about her fawning relationship with the commander-in-chief. As Trump continues to decline, critics are taking to social media with conspiracy theories to explain their relationship. The jabs came fast after explosive new claims emerged about the pair's proximity. The latest disclosures from Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, painted a picture of Harp as one of the most influential figures in Trump's administration. The book -- by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan -- claims Harp even leaves deeply personal letters for the aging president to discover in his private spaces. In one, she reportedly wrote, "You are all that matters to me."
A former television presenter for the One American Network, Harp earned the colorful nickname "The Human Printer" for her habit of printing out social media posts and news articles for President Trump.
She is even frequently seen trailing after Trump with a portable printer, ensuring he has easy access to favorable media coverage and praise about himself.
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