There is something deeply revealing about President Donald J. Trump’s decision to secretly abandon the plane carrying members of his own staff, senior Cabinet officials, and White House reporters, while he slipped away to safety on another aircraft.
The security threat was reportedly serious. Intelligence indicated a possible Iranian missile or assassination threat as Trump prepared to depart Ankara, Turkey, following last month’s NATO summit. The Secret Service and military officials secretly moved Trump to a smaller C-32A aircraft. Trump was transferred via a catering truck while the plane he had publicly boarded — carrying senior officials, aides and journalists — continued to serve as a decoy.
Protecting the president is unquestionably the Secret Service’s job. But the question this episode raises is not whether Trump should have been protected. Of course he should have been.
The question is: What about the others?
Trump himself acknowledged that the plane carrying the others was potentially at risk. In fact, he said the aircraft he ultimately took may have been at even greater risk.
That is the disturbing part. More than 100 people reportedly remained aboard the decoy aircraft, many apparently unaware that their plane was being used to mask the president’s whereabouts. They were not merely passengers. They were Americans serving their government — and journalists doing their jobs.
The episode is especially jarring when viewed alongside the administration’s handling of the newer Boeing 747 acquired from Qatar. The aircraft had undergone modifications, yet questions remained about its readiness and security capabilities. Trump had flown on that aircraft to Turkey, only to abandon it when a security threat emerged.
And then there is Karoline Leavitt, the young White House press secretary and mother of two, who recently announced she will leave her post at the end of August to spend more time with her family. Trump announced her departure rather than a traditional White House announcement, and it came less than a month after she returned from maternity leave.
There is no evidence that Leavitt’s resignation was caused by the plane incident — and it would be irresponsible to suggest otherwise. Yet the broader irony is hard to ignore: an administration that preaches loyalty and toughness apparently has no problem keeping its own people in the dark when their safety is at stake.
Presidents deserve protection. So do those who serve them.
Leadership is not simply about saving yourself. It is about recognizing the value of everyone who depends on you.
That is what empathy looks like.
Once again, Trump has shown remarkably little of it.
