Trump shares Buzz Patterson praise for his Turkey visit warmth

Trump retired Air Force Lt. Col. Buzz Patterson called Trump's interaction with Turkish military officers “unusual and heartwarming” during an official visit.

First Published: July 10, 2026, 8:52 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump shared a post from Buzz Patterson praising his conduct during an official visit to Turkey by mentioning the source (see truthsocial) on a Truth Social post on July 10, 2026 at 7:43 PM EST.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “Buzz Patterson ✪ @BuzzPatterson The Boss is in Turkey. Watch the genuine warmth he has and his respect for the Turkish military officers. He’s the real deal. I’ve been a member of these official visits entourage and this is unusual and heartwarming.”

Patterson, a retired United States Air Force lieutenant colonel, described Trump as “the real deal” and praised what he called the president’s “genuine warmth” toward Turkish military officers. Patterson said he had firsthand experience with official diplomatic visits and characterized the interaction as “unusual and heartwarming.”

Patterson served 20 years on active duty in the Air Force and flew combat missions in Grenada, Somalia, Rwanda, Haiti and Bosnia (see yaf.org). He served as the senior military aide to President Bill Clinton from 1996 to 1998. During that role he was responsible for the president’s Emergency Satchel, known as the “Nuclear Football,” the black bag containing the nation’s nuclear launch capability. Patterson received the Defense Superior Service Medal for his White House service and the Air Force Air Medal for flying 15 combat support missions into Sarajevo during the Bosnian conflict in 1994 (see yaf.org). He retired from the military in 2001 and became a bestselling author and conservative speaker (see allamericanspeakers.com).

The post included a screenshot of Patterson’s message, which showed his verified account praising Trump’s diplomatic demeanor during what appeared to be an active official visit to Turkey.

Trump’s decision to amplify Patterson’s tribute fits a broader pattern on his Truth Social account. In the last 30 days, 19 of 517 Trump posts fell under the topic of personal praise, greetings and tributes.