Fighter jets streak over Florida after an intrusion threatens President Trump
Trump has plenty of enemies. There’s no telling how they will strike.
Now fighter jets streaked over Florida after an intrusion threatened President Trump.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) scrambled jets on Saturday after three civilian planes violated the restricted airspace over Mar-a-Lago within a two-hour window.
Whenever President Donald Trump visits his Palm Beach, Florida, residence, a temporary flight restriction (TFR) is enforced.
This no-fly zone includes a 10-nautical-mile (nm) inner core and a 30-nm outer core, limiting air traffic in the surrounding area.
The restriction often causes disruptions to standard flight patterns at nearby Palm Beach International Airport.
Trump arrived at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, planning to spend the weekend at his Florida home. Just a day later, multiple aircraft breached the restricted zone, triggering a swift military response.
The first incursion occurred at 11:05 a.m. when a civilian plane entered the protected airspace. NORAD quickly dispatched F-16 fighter jets to intercept and escort the aircraft out of the restricted zone.
According to NORAD, the jets also deployed flares to “draw attention from or communicate with the pilot.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House for comment on the incident.
In a statement, NORAD Commander General Gregory Guillot emphasized the importance of following airspace restrictions.
“Adherence to TRF procedures is essential to ensure flight safety, national security, and the security of the President,” Guillot said.
“The procedures are not optional, and the excessive number of recent TRF violations indicates civil aviators are not reading Notice to Airmen, or NOTAMs, before each flight as required by the FAA, and has resulted in multiple responses by NORAD fighter aircraft to guide offending aircraft out of the TRF.”
https://t.co/wErYbNKM9W pic.twitter.com/stYb3otk69
— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) March 2, 2025
The repeated airspace breaches come just months after two assassination attempts targeted Trump ahead of the November election, raising further concerns about the president’s safety.
While Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has not publicly commented on the airspace violations, he is currently focused on addressing staffing issues within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The FAA, which oversees air traffic control operations nationwide, was the only agency within the Transportation Department with an active Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policy until Duffy assumed office.
Duffy has made clear that his priority is ensuring the nation’s air traffic control system is staffed by highly qualified personnel. “I am committed to recruiting the best and brightest to become an Air Traffic Controller,” he said.
The increased airspace violations highlight the ongoing challenges of securing the president’s safety while balancing civilian aviation needs, particularly in areas with heavy air traffic like Palm Beach.
