President Donald Trump placed his hand on the scale in a behind-the-scenes debate over whether a Cabinet official was allowed to fly in a fighter jet for the president’s Fourth of July flyover.
Trump himself stepped in to resolve a dispute about whether acting Attorney General Todd Blanche would be able to ride along with NASA administrator Jared Issacman in a vintage fighter jet for the July Fourth air show in Washington, despite objections from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, according to The Washington Post.
Issacman, a billionaire aviation enthusiast with a fleet of private aircraft, submitted a request to the Federal Aviation Administration in June to fly his personal collection of Northrop Grumman F-5 Tiger II jets, which were introduced in 1972, as part of Saturday’s nine-hour air show.
The NASA administrator also planned to bring along some Trump administration clientele as passengers, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, as well as Blanche.
The request was denied by senior FAA official Hugh J. Thomas, who deemed the aircraft “very high risk” and said in his denial that “a single system failure will render the aircraft uncontrollable.”
Duffy, who oversees the FAA and served on Trump’s Cabinet before Isaacman’s appointment, approved of the agency’s ruling. The White House’s Cabinet Affairs office tried to appeal the decision, but to no avail, according to the Post.
Despite the FAA’s denial, NASA found a loophole to fly Isaacman’s personal jets, classifying them as for “public use” under NASA. This classification allowed them to avoid the FAA’s jurisdiction, which only oversees civilian aircraft.
By the time the classification was made, however, it was too late for Isaacman’s guests to tag along, the Post reported.
Blanche, 51, wanted to participate regardless, and pitched Trump directly for assistance, according to the Post. A source familiar with the matter told the newspaper that the president encouraged Blanche to ride along anyway.
The White House posted a video on social media Friday hyping up Isaacman’s planned flight at the air show, seemingly in approval of the NASA administrator’s trip.
The Daily Beast reached out to the White House for comment.
An FAA spokesperson previously told the Daily Beast in a statement: “The FAA conducted a standard safety review for a privately owned, experimental aircraft. Once the aircraft was transferred to NASA, it became a “public use” (or government) aircraft. The responsibility for the operation falls to that specific government agency, not the FAA.”
Issacman boasted about the joyride in a post on X on Monday, saying that he “had the privilege of flying” alongside Blanche above the National Mall, which the AG said was an honor.
“It was an honor to fly over the National Mall with @NASAAdmin as part of America’s 250th celebration,” Blanche said. “Thank you to the men and women of @NASA for an unforgettable experience in tribute to our great nation.”
The flyover was cut short as inclement weather interrupted the president’s Great American State Fair.
