US3 min(s) read
Published 12:17 20 Apr 2026 GMT
Donald Trump was reportedly locked out of the Situation Room during a critical mission due to concerns over his inappropriate behavior.
According to The Mirror, the situation took place on April 3 when an F-15 fighter jet was shot down over Iran.
While one crew member was quickly recovered, a second airman remained trapped behind enemy lines for more than 24 hours, prompting an urgent rescue mission.
The 79-year-old president allegedly reacted angrily upon learning two airmen were unaccounted for, with The Wall Street Journal stating he "screamed at aides for hours" in the West Wing.
"If you look at what happened with Jimmy Carter... it cost them the election," he allegedly said. "What a mess."
As the operation continued, Trump was not included in live Situation Room briefings. Top figures, such as Vice President JD Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, monitored the situation from the Situation Room, while Trump was instead briefed remotely.
"Aides kept the president out of the room as they got minute-by-minute updates because they believed his impatience wouldn't be helpful," a senior administration official said, noting he was updated "at meaningful moments" by phone.
Despite his absence from the command center, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted Trump had "remained a steady leader our country needs."
"President Trump campaigned proudly on his promise to deny the Iranian regime the ability to develop a nuclear weapon, which is what this noble operation accomplishes," she added.
The mission reached a turning point on April 4, when the stranded airman was successfully located and extracted by US forces.
Officials said the breakthrough came thanks to intelligence provided by the CIA, which pinpointed the pilot’s location.
"This was the ultimate 'needle in a haystack', but in this case it was a brave American soul inside a mountain crevice, invisible but for [the] CIA's capabilities," a senior administration official said.
The rescue mission comes as tensions between the US and Iran continue to escalate.
Trump recently issued a stark warning over a potential deal, writing: "We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran...NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!" per The Independent.
He later told Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst: "If they don't sign this deal, the whole country is going to get blown up."
Iran has since responded by withdrawing from further negotiations, and stating: "We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military."
Officials also confirmed Iran has "currently no plans to participate in the next round" of talks, citing "Washington’s excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the continuing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire."
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