FACT CHECK: No, Trump’s Plane Is Not Guarded By Jets

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A viral video shared on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, purports to show former President Donald Trump’s personal plane being guarded by jets.

Verdict: False

The video was originally posted on YouTube and includes the hashtag “DCS,” which stands for Digital Combat Simulator, a video game. The social media user who posted the video reiterated it was created with Digital Combat Simulator in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

Trump shared a post about “cowards and weaklings” to his TRUTH Social account after his former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows answered questions from Special Counsel Jack Smith in relation to his case involving the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to the New York Daily News. Meadows has reportedly been granted immunity in the case, ABC News reported.

“Is it weird that this how Trump is guarded as an ‘Ex’ President? It’s strange,” the video’s caption purports. In the video, a large plane flies across the sky, with multiple jets surrounding it. The video has been viewed over one million times as of writing.

The video does not show the former Republican President’s plane, however. The video was originally posted on YouTube by user @iceman_fox1 on Oct. 17 and includes the hashtag “DCS,” which stands for Digital Combat Simulator, a video game.

According to its website, Digital Combat Simulator World is “a free-to-play digital battlefield game” that “offer[s] the most authentic and realistic simulation of military aircraft, tanks, ground vehicles and ships possible.”

Check Your Fact also found a TikTok profile belonging to @iceman_fox1, and the social media user’s bio indicates their profile contains “Realistic DCS videos.”

Likewise, there are no credible news reports suggesting Trump enjoys jet protection while flying aboard his personal plane. In addition, the claim is neither repeated on the former Republican President’s website nor on his TRUTH Social profile.

Furthermore, Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, also has not publicly commented on the claim.

Trump’s personal plane is often referred to as “Trump Force One.” (RELATED: Donald Trump Claims Sidney Powell Was Not His Lawyer)

The social media user who posted the video reiterated it was created with Digital Combat Simulator in an email to Check Your Fact.

“I will say that I’ve made it very clear that every video on my channel is made with Digital Combat Simulator. That is the entire premise of this channel: realistic DCS videos.  Even in the bio of my profile it says these videos are made with DCS,” the user said.
“I do think it is irresponsible when other channels steal my videos and repost them solely for the purpose of convincing people that these videos are real.  This happens quite often and I cannot keep up with it. I have not seen a repost yet where someone gives me credit, and they certainly are not telling people that the video is created digitally,” the user added.

Check Your Fact has contacted Chung for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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