Maggie Haberman defended the decision to prioritize Donald Trump ’s safety during a July flight from a NATO summit, but criticized Trump for later joking that reporters would face the same danger. Speaking Tuesday on MS NOW’s “Deadline: White House,” Haberman said the administration’s secrecy and public taunting damaged trust with the press. According to reporting from The Washington Post and The New York Times, Trump was moved from a Qatari jet to the older Air Force One after officials detected what was described as an Iranian assassination threat. The older aircraft had defensive capabilities that the newer Qatari plane reportedly lacked, making the switch a rational security move even though Trump was not ultimately on the decoy flight. The Security Move Wasn’t the Problem Haberman said federal officials would naturally place the president’s protection above the safety of staff members and journalists traveling with him. Her objection was that the White House could have privately explained the threat or acknowledged that Trump had been separated from the group instead of allowing the president to frame the situation as a shared risk. During a clip aired on “Deadline: White House,” Trump told reporters, “If I go, you go,” while warning that he was supposedly first on an adversary’s list. Haberman argued that the comment was misleading because Trump was not on the aircraft being used as the decoy, turning a legitimate security protocol into what she described as political gamesmanship. The episode also followed a Justice Department effort to subpoena New York Times reporters over sources for earlier coverage of the flight, a move that was later abandoned. Haberman said she could not fully explain the subpoenas, adding that the administration often presents an image of transparency while keeping key details hidden when secrecy serves its interests.