Trump weighed in on Cabinet squabble over ride for July Fourth flyover
The president encouraged acting attorney general Todd Blanche to fly on one of NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman’s jets despite the FAA’s prior objection to the planes.
From: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/07/07/trump-encouraged-todd-blanche-fly-nasa-administrators-jet/
Summary:
Jared Isaacman, Trump's NASA administrator, wanted to fly one of his personally-owned F-5 Tiger II jets over the national mall on July 4th. (The F-5 was a fighter plane developed by Northrop in the 50's. It was active through the late 80's and a few still fly today. Isaacman bough a couple of retired F-5's and flies them as a hobby.)
Isaacman's F-5's have been demilitartized and are considered "experimental". So, approval by the FAA is needed before flying in certain situations - such as over crowds in restricted airspace over the US Capitol in Washington, DC.
The FAA said no to Isaacman's request due to the experimental status of the airframe and the presence of some single point-of-failure systems on the plane (i.e., no back-ups, which is one thing that makes it experimental). Isaacman appealed, the the FAA looked at it again and said no. Again.
So, Isaacman did some kind of paperwork shinanigans to transfer jurisdiction of the plane to NASA (the agency he manages) which pulled it out from under FAA authority. He then took Todd Blanche on a joy ride in the F-5 over the national mall on July 4.
This is irresponsible and wrong. The FAA must pull Isaacman's license. Now. He should be banned form flying for a few years to let him know he can't risk public safety just to give a friend-of-Trump a joyride.
This is total bullshit. The next Dem president should have his FAA investigate and slap Isaacman down. That is, after he's fired from NASA.