Most of the network coverage of the hijacking attempt on a Flydubai plane headed to Israel and loaded with Israelis has cited President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to suggest that the early intelligence suggests a terrorist motive.
On Thursday night, PBS News Hour anchor Geoff Bennett broke from that pack and talked to former Clinton and Obama official Juliette Kayyem. She's a "reliable" source...if you're looking for someone who reliably dismisses the conservative assertions about violent political motives.
Bennett dissed Trump and Netanyahu as "neither has provided evidence" of an ideological motive:
On the PBS News Hour, to discuss the Flydubai hijacking attempt, they turn to former Obama and Biden aide Julliette Kayyem. Anchor Geoff Bennett claims neither Trump nor Netanyahu "has provided evidence" of a terrorist motive. It's not what an official should "responsibly say."… pic.twitter.com/QOunZOg9qf
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) October 4, 2026
GEOFF BENNETT: So, as you know, there are now competing claims about motive. Israel's prime minister says the co-pilot underwent what he called Islamist radical indoctrination. President Trump has pointed to Iran. Neither has provided evidence. The UAA -- UAE, rather, says it's investigating possible terrorist activity or prior planning. What can we responsibly say, if anything, about the motive at this point?
JULIETTE KAYYEM: Right. So and I'm glad you say that about responsibly say. After every crisis, terror incident, disaster, there's a narrative that forms very early that is often pushed for political reasons. I think we should just put those to the side aside right now, that that just happens. There are elections.
Kayyem acknowledged that it seems obvious that the “leading theory” would be a co-pilot trying to crash a plane of Israelis in Israel suggests terrorism. “What we don't know and the suspicion or allegations that this is related to a terrorist organization or even Iran is what that radicalization process was like.” It could be self-radicalization, or “If it's state-sponsored terrorism, like Iran, a country that Israel and the United States have started a war against, that is a very different consequence.”
But she suggested it could just be “mental-health issues.” That sounds a bit like the CNN expert who suggested it might just be “workplace violence.”
PBS wasn't alone. On Friday, NPR Morning Edition co-host Michel Martin turned to Democrat-leading former CNN analyst Philip Mudd, asking him if the political motivations of Trump and Netanyahu are going to cloud the investigation.
MARTIN: President Trump was asked about any links between the co-pilot and Iran. And he said, quote, "the answer based on what I'm hearing is yes," unquote. But he did not give any details or proof....
So I'm wondering if this is a circumstance or how, like, public interest and political pressure could affect an investigation. And I note that because these are sort of, you know, look, the United States is at war with Iran. Israel certainly has an interest in this. Both Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu has certain political pressures weighing on them. So I wonder, honestly, having been at the center of some of these, whether that would affect an investigation.
Mudd agreed, but stuck to intelligence protocols. He didn't go "Full CNN."
