Donald “Don” Trump Jr., the son of billionaire President Donald Trump, is not shy about using commercial flights. The conservative businessman/podcaster was recently caught traveling with his fiancée, 39-year-old socialite Bettina Anderson.
On Dec. 21, a TikTok user uploaded a video of Don Jr. and Anderson arriving at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with an entourage of security. The engaged couple was filmed exiting a blacked-out armored vehicle as they rolled their own luggage to the waiting plane.
“Uh… Is Don Jr. on my Southwest flight?” the Arizona-based TikToker wrote as her caption for the now-viral clip of the president’s oldest son and his future wife boarding the plane from the tarmac via exterior stairs.
As that video spread online, other people on social media weighed in on the sight of Don Jr. boarding a low-cost airline, Southwest. The Trump Organization executive garnered mixed reactions, with his supporters praising him as down-to-earth while critics clowned the multi-millionaire.
“Maybe because he’s under Secret Service protection and of the constant death threats his father and the rest of his family get every day?” one Trump defender tweeted in response to a critical post about Don Jr. and Anderson not being forced to use the regular boarding line.
A second fan also came to Don Jr.’s defense by asking the “Triggered” host’s detractors, “Why are you mad about this? He’s flying Southwest on a commercial flight, and you are upset? Really?”
While Don Jr. received backing, other commenters were more focused on the best-selling author not taking a private jet like many of the wealthy members of his elite class.
One reply read, “The bigger question is… Why is he flying Southwest!?” Plus, someone zeroed in on President Trump, 79, falling in popularity by writing, “MAGA is getting torched. None of Donald’s friends offered to fly him.”
Someone else said, “Holy s—tballs – you liberal s—tbags will literally b— about anything. If he took a private plane you would b—. He takes a $200 SW flight, and you still b—.
The conversation also played out on Instagram, with the charter jet talking point being brought up several times. One commenter on the platform sarcastically asked, “Daddy ban him from the private jet again?”
An additional Instagram jokester offered a tongue-in-cheek compliment for Don Jr. by mentioning Southwest’s low-cost airline competitor Spirit Airlines. The comment stated, “Things must be bad, but at least it’s not Spirit bad.”
Despite being the child of the commander-in-chief, Don Jr. has embraced flying commercial for years.
“I am not an elitist. I like hunting, red meat, trucks, and guns. And yes, I fly coach, middle seat!” Don Jr. revealed in a Facebook message in 2020. He included a screenshot of himself seated behind an unknown man and an unknown woman on an airplane.
At the time, Don Jr. was working as a surrogate for his father’s unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign. He concluded his Facebook statement by adding, “We love America and want to serve the American people. We do this all for you. America, we will fight for you. And we are winning. And if you see me in coach, be sure to ask for a selfie!”
Don Jr. may take Southwest Airlines like an average American when traveling across the country. Still, he has shown to embrace more luxurious air travel when headed overseas to locations such as Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
“I think I did 30-something hours of flying, but if you are going to fly that much, this is a great way to do it. I’m in first class on Emirates Airlines. And this is sick,” Don Jr. said in a selfie video from 2024.
Don Jr. and Anderson announced their engagement during a White House holiday reception on Dec. 15. He was previously married to Vanessa Trump from 2005 to 2018. They share five children. Don Jr. was also set to marry former Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle before calling off the pending wedding in 2024.
