White House evacuates Trump adviser and TikTok star aboard private jet - as Americans remain stranded in Middle East
More than a million Americans are believed to be in the Middle East, with around 9,000 having already returned home
The White House has helped a Donald Trump advisor and a TikTok star escape the Middle East aboard a private jet, while more than a million US citizens remain stranded following the outbreak of war.
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Alex Bruesewitz, dog-walker Sarah Daither, and former lobbyist Jay Footlik, were among six people who were able to flee on a chartered flight after the conflict caused travel chaos in the region.
Bruesewitz helped facilitate the plane evacuation from the Middle East using White House connections, after multiple airports were closed and the US Embassy initially told its employees to shelter.
Speaking after the flight touched down in Greece, where a US associate is based, Bruesewitz said: "This has easily been the craziest experience of my life."
"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," he told Politico.
Read more: Starmer 'is not Winston Churchill', Trump rages in row over Britain's response to Iran war
Writing on X, Bruesewitz thanked Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani for the country's "exceptional assistance", and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for "providing top-tier security".
He added: "The past 72 hours have been utterly surreal, like nothing I've ever experienced before. Iranian missiles were flying directly over my head."
Dog walker Daither is believed to have been been on an African safari and had a layover in Qatar, on her way back to the US when she got stuck there due to the military escalation in Iran, according to the Daily Beast.
The influencer from Dallas has over 40,000 Instagram followers where she documents her daily rounds with the city’s dogs.
For those who may not know, I happened to be traveling through the Middle East just as the Iranian attacks erupted, leaving me stranded amid the chaos. The past 72 hours have been utterly surreal, like nothing I've ever experienced before. Iranian missiles were flying directly… pic.twitter.com/H6zSHumaai
— Alex Bruesewitz 🇺🇸 (@alexbruesewitz) March 2, 2026
She was then contacted by Bruesewitz who offered her a way out via his chartered plane.
Bruesewitz is staying in the region to help coordinate other private evacuations, according to the Daily Beast.
But the emergency evacuation comes as the US Department of State urged Americans to leave the 14 countries across the Middle East, but nationals have hit out at the lack of Government help.
Sasha Hoffman, from Chicago and was vacationing in Dubai when the conflict broke out, told CBS: "We're honestly trapped.
"It's really frustrating that right now the US. is saying Americans come home when in reality we can't come home.
"We've had flights booked today, tomorrow, all of them are canceled. All of the airspace is closed through tomorrow night, now, if you're in the UAE."
Nationals staying in the region were urged to leave "using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks."
The State Department said Tuesday that more than 9,000 Americans have returned home from the Middle East over the past few days, including more than 300 from Israel.
However, over a million Americans are believed to be in the region.
It comes as war continues to rage across the Middle East following the Israeli and the US action in Iran on Saturday, which killed the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel and the US have continued to bombard Iran in recent days, with Tehran responding in kind with strikes across the Middle East.
Speaking previously, Trump said: "I can tell you that we’re doing very well, it’s a very dominant power.
"We are a very dominant power over and above everybody, and we’re doing very well, as you probably noticed".