Trump Praises 'Hero Plumber' Who Thwarted Flydubai Hijacking

Former President Donald Trump has publicly praised Yaniv Hayoun, an Israeli plumber credited with thwarting a hijacking attempt on a Flydubai flight, calling him "my kind of guy" and suggesting he could "be my plumber."

Trump shared a video on his Truth Social account highlighting Hayoun's heroism. The incident occurred when an Omani co-pilot, described as radicalized, reportedly stabbed the pilot and attempted to crash the plane en route to Tel Aviv. Hayoun, a passenger, along with others, subdued the assailant, saving the lives of the 170 people on board.

In the video, Trump stated, "He’s an Israeli plumber. And he’s a Trump fan and I’m a fan of his – a big fan. He saved that flight yesterday. He did an amazing job."

The footage also included clips from a meeting between Hayoun and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who was serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. During their meeting, Huckabee presented Hayoun with a red MAGA hat signed by Trump, thanking him for his courageous actions.

Huckabee shared a clip of the encounter on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Thank you for saving the lives of 170 people."

Hayoun, speaking in Hebrew during his conversation with Huckabee, expressed gratitude towards Trump, stating, "Given how much you have done for our country, I felt that the public’s gratitude toward you and President Trump, who has done so much for us, was insufficient."

He added, "how much we value and love you both for what you are doing for our country."

According to reports, Hayoun mentioned learning techniques to stabilize a descending aircraft from the Smithsonian Channel's "Air Disasters" program.