President Donald Trump deflected a reporter’s question aboard Air Force One by citing turbulence and joking about grabbing onto White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt for stability.
The 79-year-old president was fielding questions during a flight when a reporter asked how the administration defined absolute immunity and what it would mean for ICE agents. Trump responded by glancing toward the curtain behind him and commenting on the flight conditions.
“I’m looking for something to grab and it’s not going to be Karoline,” Trump said as Leavitt stood behind him.
The exchange occurred during a 37-minute session with reporters on Air Force One. The president used the turbulence as an opportunity to avoid directly addressing the question about immunity protections for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
The immunity question came amid broader discussions about the administration’s immigration enforcement policies and the legal protections afforded to federal agents conducting their duties. The concept of absolute immunity has been a subject of legal debate, particularly regarding the scope of protections available to executive branch officials and law enforcement personnel operating under presidential directives.
During an Air Force One session on January 11, 2026, Trump also fielded questions about Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, 58. Machado had recently told Fox News she wanted to give her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump, prompting the Nobel Committee to issue a rare statement on January 9, 2026, clarifying that the prize is non-transferrable.
The Nobel Committee’s intervention, delivered through Jens-Frederik Nielsen, underscored the unusual nature of Machado’s proposal. The committee rarely issues public statements about the transferability of its awards, suggesting the organization felt compelled to address what it viewed as a significant misunderstanding about the prize’s fundamental nature.
The Air Force One exchanges followed a series of aggressive foreign policy statements by Trump regarding multiple countries. On another flight, he threatened military action against five nations: Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, Iran and Greenland.
Trump’s threats came after the United States seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during a military operation. The president also threatened military action against Colombian President Gustavo Petro, whom he accused of running cocaine mills without providing evidence to support the claim.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected intervention in the internal affairs of other countries, while Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that a United States attack on a NATO country would end the alliance and the postwar security architecture.
“If the United States decides to militarily attack another NATO country, then everything would stop,” Frederiksen said. “That includes NATO, and therefore, post-World War II security.”
The threats against Greenland prompted particularly strong reactions from European allies. Trump announced tariffs of 10 percent on imports from eight European nations in February 2026 over their opposition to his Greenland plans.
Bipartisan senators traveled to Copenhagen to meet with Danish counterparts in an attempt to ease tensions. The delegation included Democrats Chris Coons and Republicans Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and former Republican leader Mitch McConnell also weighed in on the controversy.
McConnell warned that seizing Greenland would shatter the trust of allies. The Kentucky senator’s remarks represented one of the strongest Republican rebukes of Trump’s foreign policy approach since he took office.
Lawmakers introduced bills to prevent the United States from attacking Denmark, reflecting growing unease even within Trump’s own party about his aggressive international posture. The legislative push included proposals aimed at constraining presidential war-making powers without congressional authorization.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt met with United States lawmakers to discuss potential cooperation on military and economic matters. The diplomats sought to find common ground that would satisfy American security interests while respecting Danish sovereignty over the territory.
The confluence of domestic and foreign policy questions aboard Air Force One illustrated the wide-ranging nature of Trump’s presidency and the challenges facing his administration. From questions about legal immunity for federal agents to threats against allied nations, the exchanges captured a president operating across multiple fronts simultaneously.
Trump’s use of humor and deflection when confronted with difficult questions has been a consistent feature of his communication style. The reference to Leavitt during the turbulence moment provided a lighter note during what was otherwise a tense exchange about serious policy matters. The press secretary’s presence behind the president during the exchange added a visual element to the president’s quip about not using her for physical support.
The Air Force One setting itself provides a unique context for presidential communications. Unlike formal press conferences or prepared remarks, these airborne sessions often produce more spontaneous exchanges between the president and journalists. The confined space, time pressures and sometimes challenging flight conditions create an environment where presidents may be more likely to make off-the-cuff remarks or use deflection tactics when faced with uncomfortable questions.
The question about absolute immunity for ICE agents touches on broader debates about executive power and the legal protections available to federal law enforcement. These discussions have become increasingly relevant as the Trump administration pursues aggressive immigration enforcement policies that have generated both support and opposition across the political spectrum.
The administration’s approach to immigration enforcement has raised questions about the extent to which agents can rely on orders from superiors as a defense against potential legal liability. Legal scholars have debated whether presidential directives provide sufficient cover for agents whose actions might otherwise be challenged in court.
As Trump continues to navigate both domestic policy challenges and an increasingly complex international landscape, his communication strategies—including his use of humor and deflection—remain central to understanding how he manages difficult questions from the press and the public.
