A fighter jet was scrambled Saturday afternoon after a civilian aircraft violated restricted airspace over Bedminster, New Jersey, where President Donald Trump is spending the holiday weekend. NORAD reported that the pilot entered the no-fly zone around 2:40 p.m. Eastern, prompting a rapid military response. Using a standard “headbutt” maneuver, the jet safely redirected the aircraft out of the area without incident.
This violation marked the fourth airspace breach of the day—and was followed shortly after by a fifth. All incursions occurred within the same protected airspace surrounding Trump’s location. NORAD responded swiftly, activating its full layered defense system, which includes radar, satellites, and fighter aircraft to monitor and secure U.S. airspace during presidential movements.
Following the incidents, military officials issued strong warnings to general aviation pilots. “If you’re flying anywhere near Bedminster, NJ, you’d better check NOTAMs 1353, 1358, 2246, and 2247,” 1st Air Force posted on X. “No excuses! Stay sharp, stay legal, and stay out of restricted airspace.” These Notices to Air Missions are meant to ensure pilots avoid restricted zones during high-security periods.
The breaches come amid heightened security concerns following recent tensions with Iran. In June, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi issued a fatwa calling for global resistance against Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The religious decree labeled such figures as “warlords,” punishable under Iranian law as enemies of Islam.
The fatwa followed the “12-Day War,” during which U.S. and Israeli forces struck Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump later claimed the sites were “totally obliterated” and warned Iran not to resume uranium enrichment, comparing the strike’s impact to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
