Fighter jets intercept plane over South Carolina during Trump rally
Fighter jets intercepted a plane that entered restricted airspace over Clemson, South Carolina, on Wednesday, as President Trump spoke at a rally there, military officials said.
An F-16 fighter jet intercepted a general aviation plane over Clemson, South Carolina, during a rally held by President Trump to support Darline Graham's Senate campaign, military officials confirmed. The incident occurred just after 5:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, as the plane violated a temporary flight restriction in the area. Temporary flight restrictions are often issued over locations where high-profile figures, especially the president, are visiting, including during political rallies.
The military jets monitored the plane until it safely landed at a nearby airfield. Violating flight restrictions can result in enforcement actions for the pilot upon landing. President Trump was addressing crowds at Clemson's T. Ed Garrison Arena for Graham's campaign rally, as she is now running for a full term in her state's midterm Senate election against Democratic challenger Annie Andrews.
Recent weeks have seen several instances where military jets have been scrambled to intercept civilian planes that violated airspace limitations around Trump's rallies, as the November midterms draw closer.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
