Trump Hails Israeli Plumber Who Helped Stop Flydubai Hijacking
Trump shares Laura Loomer's post about Yaniv Hayoun, the Israeli plumber credited with helping foil a Flydubai hijacking, who asked Benjamin Netanyahu to tell Trump he is a supporter.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump amplified a post by conservative activist Laura Loomer praising Yaniv Hayoun, the Israeli plumber credited with helping prevent a Flydubai flight from crashing during a hijacking attempt, after Hayoun asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convey his admiration for Trump.
Here is the full post on truthsocial: “At the end of this video in Hebrew, Yaniv Hayoun, the heroic Israeli plumber who helped prevent the hijacked aircraft from crashing yesterday asks Bibi @netanyahu for a favor. He said: “I’d like one little favor, tell Trump I am crazy about him. A huge supporter!” @POTUS should send Yaniv a signed MAGA hat.” on October 2, 2026 at 2:38 PM ET.
This is Trump’s 7th message released today, and the last post was 0 minutes ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 34 of his 537 posts over the last 30 days classified as Personal Praise, Greetings & Tributes posts.
Hayoun was among the passengers who helped thwart the hijacking of Flydubai flight FZ 1073, carrying 174 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv, on September 30, 2026, according to wionews.com. The Omani co-pilot attacked Indian Captain Smit Machchhar in an attempt to crash the aircraft. Despite severe wounds and blood loss, Machchhar opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers to rush in and overpower the co-pilot.
47th President Donald J. Trump hailed Israeli plumber Yaniv Hayoun at Washington D.C.
Margo Martin / X (formerly Twitter)
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Hayoun entered the cockpit and briefly took control of the flight controls to stop the plane from diving, according to wionews.com. Netanyahu asked how he knew to pull the controls backward. “I watch Air Crash Investigations Mr Prime Minister,” Hayoun said. An off-duty pilot then took over. Hayoun also described forcing open the cockpit door: “I pushed the door; the pilot who was stabbed was simply very close to the door, so it was hard for us to open. We pulled him out — it was a matter of seconds.”
Netanyahu met Hayoun and other passengers at Ben Gurion Airport in Lod and praised Hayoun for his “tremendous resourcefulness,” according to wionews.com. Netanyahu called the group “an army of lions” in a post on his account. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he would present “heroism” awards to five Israelis who helped overpower the co-pilot. Trump also praised Hayoun’s “amazing” actions, according to wionews.com.
Loomer, a conservative activist and Trump ally, received a Pentagon press credential in November 2025, according to firstamendment.mtsu.edu. She has an influential social media presence and has campaigned for the firings of government officials she deemed insufficiently loyal to Trump’s administration. She has ridden on Air Force One with Trump, though Trump has at times downplayed her influence, according to firstamendment.mtsu.edu. Loomer obtained her Pentagon credential after virtually all reporters for legacy news outlets walked out of the Pentagon press room rather than agree to a policy restricting reporting of information not approved for release by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
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President Trump is the author of Trump: The Art of the Deal, Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life, and Think Big: Make It Happen in Business and Life. Analyst and Trump supporter Rod Martin points to The Art of the Deal, Trump's 1987 book, as an explanation of his deal-making philosophy: making big announcements, pivoting often in public statements and, Martin says, ultimately getting what he wanted all along. Critics contend that Trump's books were published decades ago or were aimed at making money, not shedding light. "Generally," Martin said, "critics don't read The Art of the Deal. If they did, they would understand."