Reporters are furious that Trump switched planes after leaving his meeting in Turkey because of a credible Iranian threat to shoot down Air Force One. The people who boarded the plane had no idea. Once the switch leaked, the media promptly lost its collective mind.

A few things worth noting:

First, the Secret Service had already advised Trump to use the older VC-25 instead of the Qatar-built plane because it has better defensive systems – another detail that conveniently leaked right after the trip.

Second, even if we assume Iran somehow managed to launch a missile or two, the people on board still had an excellent chance of survival. The aircraft’s capabilities would have turned it into a very bumpy ride, after which the passengers would almost certainly have been the first to praise the military crew and the pilot for saving their lives.

Third, the press and others ride on the plane as a courtesy. The president’s life is rather more important. Every president takes a risk flying Air Force One, because extremists treat it like the ultimate trophy. These same reporters love to remind us how dangerous their jobs are and how tough it is “out there.” Their sudden outrage is, shall we say, rich with irony.

None of them were in any real danger. Yet they expressed serious outrage because it’s Trump. Had it been Biden or Obama, the same people would have framed any lost colleagues as heroes who bravely stayed in the line of fire while their preferred president was kept safe. Since it was Trump’s trip, the narrative would have flipped to “he’s trying to eliminate (fake news) journalists,” just as he’s always called them the enemy.

Anyone who flies with the president on Air Force One does so as a guest. If Trump ever told them to make their own travel arrangements going forward, the outrage would somehow climb even higher, and they’d insist it was an assault on the First Amendment.

If the media wants to fly along, the ride comes with risks. Anyone with half a brain knows that. But when you’re suffering from advanced Trump Derangement Syndrome, reality simply refuses to compute. Someday the DSM-VI will almost certainly include a diagnosis named after him. And honestly? That would be kind of funny.