The Trump administration leapt into action to help a group of well-connected influencers flee the war Trump started—as other Americans stuck in the Middle East were told they’re on their own.
The group, which included Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz, 28, and Dallas dog walker Sarah Gaither, managed to escape after White House officials and MAGA Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, 36, coordinated with Qatar and Saudi Arabia to arrange a private flight to Athens, Greece, according to West Wing Playbook.
Bruesewitz chose Athens because it was the closest destination where he has a personal contact—U.S. Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle, 56, the former Fox News host and ex-fiancée of Donald Trump Jr.
The group’s extraction came as tens of thousands of ordinary travelers remained stranded across the region with no government assistance after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and retaliatory strikes from Iran grounded flights.
“This has easily been the craziest experience of my life,” Bruesewitz was quoted by West Wing Playbook as saying. “I’m grateful for all of the people who played a role in getting us out of the active war zone and to safety. I can’t wait to get back to the USA, the greatest country in the world!”
In a statement posted to social media after landing, Bruesewitz named the officials who came to his aid as White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair and Rep. Luna.
He also credited Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani personally, as well as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, saying the Gulf states had collaborated to protect his group and ensure they could safely board their flight.
He reserved particular thanks for Guilfoyle and her Athens staff, who he said had ensured the group’s aircraft could land in the Greek capital at short notice.
The well-connected group that made it out included Jay Footlik, 60, a lobbyist and registered foreign agent for Qatar who previously served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton.
Also on board was Gaither, a dog walker from Dallas whose TikTok account documenting her daily rounds with the city’s dogs has attracted almost 43,000 Instagram followers. Her TikTok account appears to have been disabled.
A photo of the group on board the small jet—which was chartered and paid for by Bruesewitz—was posted on social media by Playbook. They arrived in Athens just before midnight, Greek time.
Sources close to Bruesewitz told the Daily Beast that Gaither had been traveling back to the States after a safari in Africa. During a layover in Doha, she found herself trapped. After TikToks about her plight went viral in the early hours of Monday morning, Bruesewitz contacted her to offer her a seat on the aircraft.
The source added that Bruesewitz was staying in the region to use his connections to help organize private evacuations for other Americans stranded there.
The group’s escape came as coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, launched on Feb. 28 and codenamed Operation Epic Fury by the Pentagon, killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggered sweeping Iranian retaliation across the region.
On Monday, Mora Namdar, the State Department’s assistant secretary for consular affairs, urged Americans to “DEPART NOW” from 16 countries and territories—including Israel, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Iran—“using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks.”
This was despite airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar having been shut or severely disrupted by Iranian drone and missile strikes.
The UAE alone reported more than 20,000 people stranded within its borders following the closures. Hezbollah entered the conflict on March 2, further choking exit routes across the region.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem also told Americans it was unable to evacuate anyone directly, with all staff sheltering in place.
Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv remains closed with no confirmed reopening date, and Royal Jordanian was running limited services out of Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport as of Monday.
In a detailed post on X, Ambassador Mike Huckabee, 70—a Trump appointee—directed stranded Americans toward Israeli Ministry of Tourism shuttle buses to the Taba border crossing into Egypt, and advised against attempting to exit via Jordan due to inconsistent flights and restricted crossing hours.
The Daily Beast has contacted Rep. Luna’s office and the White House for comment. Bruesewitz declined to comment.
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