As we now know (if you follow the news even casually), President Trump snuck out of Air Force One and was carried to another plane in a large enclosed catering cart when he left the NATO summit in Turkey. He did so because of Iranian threats against him, leaving those traveling on Air Force One to serve as decoys.
The Washington Post now is reporting that accompanying Trump on the plane he took home were Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff; Natalie Harp, the president’s executive assistant (aka “The Human Printer,” because she is constantly at the President’s side (?) so that she can print out emails, etc., for him); and Walt Nauta, the director of Oval Office operations. According to the Post, these characters “were among an inner circle of supporters who worked for Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida during the four years between his presidencies, after many other officials who served in the first Trump White House distanced themselves following his two impeachments and multiple criminal investigations.” Loyalty has its privileges, right?
Other high-ranking Administration officials were left to fly home on Air Force One–the decoy flight. According to CBS News, the Administration officials relegated to Air Force One included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, All-around Evil Person Stephen Miller (hahaha!), White House Communications Director Steven Cheung (who is giving Miller real competition in the Most Loathsome Underling category), and somewhat lesser lights (sorry folks, but it’s true) Will Scharf, Mike Needham, Ross Worthington and Monica Crowley.
Pete Hegseth also flew on the plane with Trump, but boarded that plane using external stairs so that it would appear that he was the senior-most Administration official on the flight. So Pete was there just as part of the deception. (Sorry, Pete.)
Now, far be it from me to want to sow any family dissension in the Trump Administration, but if I were one of those Administration officials who rode home on Air Force One, I would be seriously questioning my Dear Leader’s love and affection for me. The fact that, according to the CBS News report, at least some of these people were aware that the President had skedaddled to a safer means of travel should hardly lessen the sting. After all, imagine your parents telling your brothers and sisters not to try the Chinese food that they found in the back of the refrigerator until you tasted it. Whether they said that in front of you or you found out about it later wouldn’t matter.
So just remember, Daddy loves you, Marco, Scott, etc. He just doesn’t love you best. Or even third best.