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President Donald Trump will honor the pilots who led the recent bombing mission on Iranian nuclear facilities during the Fourth of July festivities at the White House, his press secretary confirmed Monday.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the seven U.S. Air Force pilots involved in the operation, along with other personnel from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, are expected to join the president for Independence Day celebrations in the nation’s capital.
“President Trump looks forward to celebrating our nation’s founding on Friday in the nation’s capital,” Leavitt said. “To join in the celebration, the might of America’s Air Force will conduct a flyover featuring our state-of-the-art F-22s, B-2s, and F-35s — the same air capabilities used for the decisive and successful strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.”
Earlier this month, U.S. forces destroyed three nuclear sites in Iran in a strike aimed at halting the country’s nuclear weapons program. Iran responded by attacking a U.S. military base in Qatar, but no additional military action has occurred since.
Trump first mentioned the upcoming visit during a Sunday interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, but did not specify that the meeting would coincide with the July Fourth celebration.
The president and his administration have since defended the operation, calling it a success despite some media reports suggesting it may have only delayed Iran’s nuclear progress by several months. Trump specifically targeted The New York Times and CNN, accusing them of downplaying the mission’s effectiveness and undermining the morale of the service members involved.
“She should not be allowed to work at Fake News CNN. It’s people like her who destroyed the reputation of a once great Network,” Trump said on Truth Social last week, referring to a CNN reporter who covered the mission.
He added that the coverage had a negative impact on the pilots themselves. “After 36 hours of dangerously flying through Enemy Territory, they landed, they knew the Success was LEGENDARY, and then, two days later, they started reading Fake News by CNN and The Failing New York Times. They felt terribly,” Trump wrote.
