Fighter jets scramble as mysterious craft appear over Trump event at US military base
Fighter jets took to the skies on Sunday after four unidentified aircraft entered restricted airspace over a naval base where Donald Trump was attending an event.The President and wife Melania were at a ceremony honoring service members for the Navy's 250th birthday in Norfolk, Virginia. The event started at 8.34am, with Trump speaking, and about three hours and 21 minutes later, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) reported the first airspace violation.A temporary flight restriction (TFR) was put in place specifically for the Titans of the Sea: A Salute to the Fleet event. The normal restricted airspace for Naval Station Norfolk is always active, but is more widely enforced on an ad-hoc basis for special events.Fighter jets were dispatched and deployed flares to signal the pilot, then escorted the plane until it landed safely.Then, three more general aviation aircraft flew over the event throughout the day, sending more fighter jets into the air to monitor the situation. Fighter jets were deployed to intercept four general aviation aircraft that flew over the restricted airspace above Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on Sunday Donald Trump and Melania visited the base to honor servicemen for the Navy's 250th birthdayA Norad statement on Sunday said: 'The identification and monitoring of the civilian aircraft demonstrate how Norad executes its aerospace warning and control missions for the US and Canada...general aviation pilots are reminded to verify all FAA Notice to Airmen.' The first violation occurred around 11.55am ET, when a civilian aircraft entered the restricted zone. Roughly 30 minutes later, another unauthorized aircraft breached the restricted airspace and was similarly escorted out by Norad jets. Two additional incursions followed later in the day, at 4.15pm and 4.46pm, with both civilian planes closely monitored until they landed.Trump did not publicly acknowledge the unauthorized aircraft that flew over the naval base.The commander-in-chief was joined by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan at the event.The President performed his famous YMCA dance and ripped into his predecessors, including Barack 'Hussein' Obama.The vigorous display comes amid feverish liberal media speculation about the president's health, after he wasn't seen for a couple of days last week.It was revealed earlier this year that the 79-year-old is suffering from chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition in older people that increases the risk of blood clots. Hundreds of military personnel attended the event, which saw Trump address health rumorsBut Trump dismissed any concerns, recounting the observations of Texas Republican Representative Ronny Jackson, who was Trump's White House doctor during his first stay in the Oval Office.While speaking to the military officers, Trump claimed that Jackson said he was a healthier president than Barack Obama and George W Bush.'A man that everybody loves — he was my doctor in the White House and I got to know him very well,' Trump told the crowd of Naval officers.'He was also the doctor for Barack Hussein Obama. Have you heard of him?''He was a doctor for a man named Bush. And at a press conference, they asked him, 'Who's in the best shape, who's the healthiest, who's the strongest, who's the best physical specimen of the three?' He said, 'That's easy. President Donald Trump!''And I said, 'I love this guy!''Navy officers reacted by cheering on the president with applause and laughter as Trump continued praising Jackson.'I said, "love him!"' Trump added.'Ronny Jackson. He's now a congressman, you know. So, he was an admiral, he was a chief doctor — he was the whole boss of doctors — and now he's a very, very successful congressman from Texas.''Thank you, Ronny, and I appreciate those words. I'll never forget them.'While serving as Trump's physician, Jackson faced criticism from the president's liberal opponents for frequently praising Trump's health. Trump turned the USS Harry S Truman into the stage for a wild MAGA-style rally on SundayIn 2018, Jackson famously claimed during a press conference that Trump 'has incredibly good genes, and it's just the way God made him.'Jackson added, 'I told the president that if he had a healthier diet over the last 20 years, he might live to be 200 years old.'Moreover, Jackson also praised Trump's cognitive ability by telling reporters, 'I have absolutely no concerns about his cognitive ability.'Trump and his Republican allies often attacked former president Joe Biden's cognitive ability and physical health during the 2024 election.Trump's last physical exam, conducted in April at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, indicated he remains in good health. Trump, who is known for his love of McDonald's, weighed in at 224 pounds, which is approximately 20 pounds lighter compared to his last examination in 2020. However, this spurred doubts from his left-wing opponents that the examination was not accurate.
