A Washington Post review of flight data identified two Air Force One passes over the White House during Thursday’s Halloween gathering, as a local official said people had only 15 minutes’ notice.
In an X post, a Council of DC spokesperson said people downtown in DC, at the Pentagon and at National Airport had just 15 minutes’ advance notice; many were startled. The aircraft’s altitude over Washington ranged from 400 to 1,000 feet, The Washington Post reported, based on its review of flight data.
President Donald Trump told the White House press pool earlier that the presidential aircraft would pass overhead. AlertDC posted a public notice about the flyover on X less than an hour after Trump’s remarks.
Administration footage showed Trump and first lady Melania Trump watching the aircraft. A separate clip shared by the Rapid Response 47 account showed children looking up as it passed. Melania Trump’s office later posted an Instagram video of the couple giving candy to children in costume.
