Following Iran’s downing of a US fighter jet, President Trump reportedly spent hours berating his advisors, fixating on past crises and alleging a lack of European support.
Trump’s Outburst Following Aircraft Downings
According to reports from the American newspaper, President Trump reportedly screamed at his advisors for hours after learning of the downing of an American aircraft and the disappearance of two pilots.
Informants relayed that Trump repeatedly emphasized that “Europeans are not helping” the Americans.
Echoes of the 1979 Hostage Crisis
Trump continually thought about the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, according to The Wall Street Journal. Iranian students seized the US embassy in Tehran and took American diplomats hostage.
The United States then launched Operation Eagle Claw, an unsuccessful attempt to free the hostages. Iranians seized American helicopters and documents exposing a CIA network in Iran. The hostages were released in early 1981 following US-Iranian negotiations.
Operation Eagle Claw as a Political Liability
Operation Eagle Claw was viewed as a failure of the administration of then-President Jimmy Carter. In November 1980, Carter lost the election to Ronald Reagan.
“If you look at what happened with Jimmy Carter, with the helicopters and the hostages, it cost them the election,” Trump reportedly told his associates in March, according to The Wall Street Journal informants. He added, “What a mess.”
Limited Briefings for Trump
WSJ reports that Donald Trump received only the most critical information.
Downing of US Aircraft and Rescue Operation
Iran shot down an American fighter jet on April 3rd. One crew member was quickly located, but the second was rescued only after a complex operation by the American military. On April 5th, Trump announced the rescue mission was successful.
Concerns About FBI Official’s Conduct
According to sources in The Atlantic, Kash Patel, an FBI official, was reportedly so intoxicated that security agents had difficulty waking him when needed, as reported by Wyborcza.pl.
Restricting Trump’s Access During Rescue Efforts
During the operation to locate the second pilot, Trump’s advisors prevented the American president from entering the room where key decisions were being made, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Instead, they relayed the most important information regarding military actions to him. Sources within the newspaper stated that Trump’s associates believed his impatience would negatively impact the operation.
Details of the Aircraft Downings
On April 3rd, two American military aircraft—an F-15 fighter jet and an A-10 attack aircraft—were shot down by Iranian forces. After the F-15 was downed, the A-10 was mobilized to assist in the search mission, but was also attacked by Iranian air defenses.
The Iranians also targeted two Black Hawk helicopters involved in the search and rescue operation.
