US fighter jet intercepts suspicious plane over Trump golf club

An F-16 fighter jet intercepted a civilian aircraft that violated restricted airspace over US President Donald Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey on Saturday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has confirmed.

The incident occurred at around 2:39pm local time, when a general aviation plane entered a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) zone, which was activated due to Trump’s presence in the area. NORAD scrambled an F-16 fighter aircraft, which performed a standard headbutt maneuver to alert the pilot and safely escort the aircraft out of the restricted zone.

The interception was part of a broader alert response, as Saturday saw a total of five separate TFR violations in the Bedminster area – including three prior to the headbutt incident and one more later in the day. NORAD did not release additional details about the aircraft or pilots involved.

“Pilots, a reminder to check FAA NOTAMs before you fly!” NORAD posted on X, referring to Notice to Air Missions bulletins issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency highlighted FAA NOTAMs 1353, 1358, 2246, and 2247 as especially relevant for flights near Bedminster.

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The command warned that pilots are responsible for verifying TFR zones before takeoff and stressed that its layered air defense system – comprising radars, satellites, and fighter jets – remains active in detecting and responding to unauthorized incursions.

Trump has made Bedminster one of his main residences since returning to office in January, with the FAA frequently designating restricted airspace in the vicinity whenever the president is present. Pilots who violate TFR zones risk being intercepted, fined, questioned by the authorities, or having their licenses suspended.