Trump's Halloween flyover stunt terrifies Sept. 11 survivors

President Donald Trump celebrated Halloween at the White House on Thursday with the first lady and then did a flyover the White House using his new Qatari jet. But the act terrified people who were in Washington during the Sept. 11 attacks.

A video uploaded from the White House celebrated the flyover: “An epic Air Force One flyover at the White House for the trick-or-treaters!”

"In a city that still vividly remembers the deadly 2025 crash near Reagan National Airport and the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the flyover caused some concern," said a Washington Post report.

According to the report citing flight tracking data, the plane's "altitude was between about 400 feet and about 1,000 feet."

The Washington D.C. city council account posted, "This flyover provided just fifteen minutes notice to anyone in downtown DC, at the Pentagon, or at National Airport. It startled many, including us."

Washington D.C. is a "no-fly zone," and that zone extends well into Virginia and Maryland after Sept. 11. So, residents of the city don't hear planes flying overhead. The only air travel is military, police, hospitals and Trump's administration. That means seeing a plane flying that low immediately brought back memories of the low-flying Flight 77 that hit the Pentagon.

There was a brief ground stop at National Airport for the flyover, but an alert was sent out without much time for people to be informed it would happen.

“I’m probably being that person, but that flyover in DC right now was very scary. Essentially no heads up that it would be happening and it sounded like a regular commercial plane,” one person wrote on X. “I don’t mind jets but I actually thought a plane was going to crash.”

One social media user wrote on X that the plane was flying “crazy low for a 747.”

“I’m used to flyovers in DC,” they added. “But this one scared me.”

Victoria Chamberlin, senior producer and editor for "Interesting Times" from the New York Times opinion section posted, "Air Force One low flying over our heads in DC feels like a cruel trick without warning. This picture doesn’t do it justice but it flew right over a family Halloween event in otherwise restricted air space at a tilt and altitude that made wonder if this was it lol.”

Someone replied calling her a "moron" and asking whether they should call or text her next time. She brought up the Sept. 11 attacks as well, adding, "So yeah, Kevin. Comms across social and news media prior to 5:24pm that a low alt 747 is circling would be great."

"I straight up yelled," said Chris Cardno on X.

Another D.C. resident commented, "Those of us who lived through 9/11 don’t find this s—— entertaining. At all."

She was flooded with comments, one person called out "little angry boys crying in the comments." She noted her apartment was shaking. She told several people that folks only knew that it was Air Force One after the fact. For people who aren't glued to flight trackers and the slapdash announcements, people didn't know whose plane it was or why it was flying so low.

Many agreed if the announcement had gone out a day before or even 5 hours before, as the White House has done with other flyovers, it likely wouldn't have terrified residents.