Donald Trump ally Alex Bruesewitz left Qatar on Monday night with other lucky passengers as thousands of Americans were stranded in the Middle East following the deadly US attack on Iran.

Bruesewitz, a former adviser to Trump’s 2024 campaign and now a senior adviser to one of his PACs, flew from Doha to Athens with the help of White House officials and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who recently downplayed U.S. attacks on Iran as a “non-war.”

Bruesewitz told Politico’s West Wing Playbook that he paid for the private charter flight and worked with Qatari, Saudi and American officials to get him, TikTok influencer Sarah Gaither, a dog walker, and Jay Footlik, a former special assistant to former President Bill Clinton, out of the country.

Bruesewitz offered the flight to Gaither after she shared viral TikTok clips that her return trip from an African safari was cut short when flights were suspended during a layover in Doha, according to The Daily Beast.

One photo, shared by Politico’s Sophia Cai on X, shows Bruesewitz, Gaither and three others aboard the plane as they head to Athens.

As thousands of stranded American travelers are frustrated by the chaos in the region and the administration’s dearth of assistance, the president appeared to defend the lack of an evacuation plan for other Americans, telling reporters Tuesday that it all “happened very quickly.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted that officials are “confident” they will be able to help “all Americans” stranded abroad.

Donald Trump ally Alex Bruesewitz speaks during the 2026 Hispanic Prosperity Gala, hosted by Latino Wall Street, at the president's Mar-a-Lago estate last month.
Donald Trump ally Alex Bruesewitz speaks during the 2026 Hispanic Prosperity Gala, hosted by Latino Wall Street, at the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate last month.

Jason Koerner/Getty Images for Latino Wall Street via Getty Images

Bruesewitz cited his close ties to Trump’s US ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, as the reason the group flew to Athens.

“This has easily been the craziest experience of my life,” Bruesewitz said.

“I’m grateful for everyone who played a role in getting us out of the active war zone and to safety. I can’t wait to get back to America, the greatest country in the world!”

Gaither, in a video from Doha shared with her more than 100,000 TikTok followers on Tuesday, said she was “really nervous” and her adrenaline was “through the roof” as she expressed hope for a safe return to the United States.

On Wednesday, he shared a follow-up post with the caption “From Doha to Saudi Arabia ➡️🚗” while giving a thumbs up to the camera. He also posted an Instagram Stories update suggesting he is still “trying to get back” to the United States.

Gaither did not immediately respond to News themezone’s request for comment.