Sean Hannity accidentally dredges up disastrous old Donald Trump deal

Donald Trump did not fly 200 Marines to Florida on his private jet in 1991
(Image credit: CC by: Aero Icarus/Flickr)

In May, when Donald Trump was facing scrutiny over promised donations to veterans groups, Sean Hannity's website posted a heartwarming story of how Trump went out of his way to help veterans back in 1991. The article is based on the memories of a Marine reservist, Cpl. Ryan Stickney, who said that Trump sent his own private jet to ferry Stickney and 200 other stranded Marines back home, adding: "I have not seen a Clinton or Sanders plane, or anything else for that matter, sent to support the troops." "The Trump campaign has confirmed to Hannity.com that Mr. Trump did indeed send his plane to make two trips from North Carolina to Miami, Florida, to transport over 200 Gulf War Marines back home," the article says.

Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler looked into the story at the request of a reader, and on Thursday he rendered his verdict: "Sean Hannity needs to correct this article, if not pull it down. The Trump campaign earns Four Pinocchios for confirming a story that is easily debunked." The airplane, captured on photo by Cpl. Stickney, was not Trump's private jet but clearly part of the Trump Shuttle fleet, under contract with the Defense Department to transport troops in 1991. Furthermore, Trump had lost control of the airline in 1991 for failing to make loan payments, and the Trump Shuttle aircraft were flying for the Pentagon because, Kessler said, Trump "made a bad deal," agreeing to buy too many planes for his airline.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.