A United Airlines pilot faces investigation and removal from duty after posting a coded death threat against President Trump on his Facebook profile, the same symbol recently used in federal charges against former FBI Director James Comey.
Pilot Removed From Flight After Social Media Discovery
Matt Doogen, a United Airlines pilot, changed his Facebook cover photo to display the numbers eight, six, four, and seven. Federal authorities have identified this numerical sequence as a coded threat against the president’s life. Libs of TikTok broke the story on social media, prompting immediate backlash from passengers and security officials who questioned how someone with such radical views maintains clearance to operate commercial aircraft carrying hundreds of passengers.
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United Airlines confirmed it has launched an internal investigation and removed Doogen from a scheduled trip. The airline faces mounting pressure to terminate the pilot permanently, as concerned citizens flood social media with demands for action from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the TSA, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and the Secret Service. The incident raises serious questions about pilot screening procedures and whether political extremism should disqualify individuals from operating commercial aircraft.
Double Standard Draws Criticism
Conservative commentators highlighted stark contrasts in how employers handle political controversies. Democrats previously forced a rodeo clown to lose his job for wearing an Obama mask during a performance. A Republican congressional staffer resigned under pressure for criticizing the clothing choices of a former president’s daughter. Yet Doogen initially faced no consequences for what federal prosecutors consider a credible threat worthy of criminal charges when others make the same gesture.
Security Concerns About Flight Operations
The controversy extends beyond free speech debates into passenger safety territory. Aviation experts and concerned travelers question what prevents a pilot with documented hostility toward the president from discriminating against Trump supporters during flight operations. Pilots hold absolute authority over passenger removal decisions before takeoff. The incident occurred as one passenger recalled flying United on the same day as the first assassination attempt against President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, highlighting how political violence has touched commercial aviation in unexpected ways.