A passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight filmed Donald Trump, Jr. and a woman in a bright red pantsuit exiting a black SUV multiple people who look to include secret service, walking on the ramp with rollaboard bags, and going up stairs under the jetbridge to board the aircraft. It appears that the woman is Bettina Anderson, to whom Don, Jr. was recently engaged.
UH… IS THAT DONALD TRUMP JR. ON MY SOUTHWEST FLIGHT?!
A woman films in disbelief after spotting Don Jr. at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport – pulling up in blacked-out SUVs and escorted by a visible security detail before walking up the private stairs directly onto… pic.twitter.com/wby2P8g3Gn
— HustleBitch (@HustleBitch_) December 24, 2025
Trump, Jr. is part of the President’s immediate family, which is within the category the Secret Service regularly protects. It seems to me that having a protectee airside in an airport should be fine since everyone there has been screened! And it it’s not fine, then there’s a problem with TSA that the President should be making a priority.
Nonetheless, it’s not uncommon for someone in this situation to be moved across the tarmac by vehicle rather than traversing the terminal. And I’ve certainly done it myself several times, such as departing Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal and even transferring off a Bangkok Airways domestic flight to make an international connection on THAI.
Donald Trump, Jr. flying commercial isn’t unusual. He even posted this trip report of Emirates first class. Don, Jr. and Robert Mueller were spotted together at the infamous (and since-retired) Washington National airport gate 35X.
@donaldjtrumpjr Not bad…
In fact, Trump family members flying in all coach cabins isn’t that out of sample. Ivanka Trump’s family was accosted flying JetBlue during the President’s first term. Ivanka and husband Jared Kushner took a shuttle flight from D.C. to New York in 2018 after a helicopter they were on suffered engine failure. Live and Let’s Fly flew United with Don, Jr. and then-fiance’ Kimberly Guilfoyle, whom the administration shipped out of the country to serve as Ambassador to Greece.
Ivanka Trump photographed on JetBlue below. How do I add #MattLasner to my Christmas Card list? pic.twitter.com/wSd90G6Cui
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) December 22, 2016
After small donors paid for repairs on President Trump’s personal 25-year old Boeing 757 which was acquired used from Paul Allen, it returned to the skies in 2022. And that’s not his only plane.
Here’s the problem, and Don, Jr. has never been known as the smart one. Flying Southwest Airlines out of Phoenix, odds on the wifi onboard was barely usable. So while getting VIP escorts through the airport may be efficient for his time, he was going to be far less productive inflight than if he’d flown the city’s other hub carrier.
Not everyone wants to be productive on a plane.
@Gary – “Here’s the problem, and Don, Jr. has never been known as the smart one.” Why the snide / nasty remark? It is Christmas time and you are usually very civil. I would expect the remark from 1990.
I’d fly private but that’s me. Always.