Trump secretly switched planes in Turkey over Iran threat
Trump secretly switched planes in Turkey via a catering truck over an Iranian threat, reports say.
President Donald Trump was secretly moved between aircraft in Turkey last month as part of a deception operation triggered by a credible Iranian assassination threat, according to reports.
The operation unfolded after Trump attended a NATO summit in Ankara. Publicly, the White House said he was flying to Britain aboard Air Force One. However, shortly after boarding the older aircraft in front of cameras, Trump was discreetly transferred via an airport catering truck to a smaller Air Force C-32A plane for the flight to Britain.
The older Air Force One, which had been used as a decoy, carried journalists and some White House staff who believed the president was on board. Reporters were advised to keep their window shades closed during the flight. When later asked about the instruction, Trump said they were "probably on a dangerous flight," adding, "But if I go, you go. Right?"
The C-32A carrying Trump arrived in Britain first, with the decoy aircraft and media landing minutes later. It remains unclear how Trump was transferred back to the older Air Force One before descending the stairs to greet service members.
Trump had flown to Ankara on a newly renovated Boeing 747 donated by Qatar, marking its first international trip. He unexpectedly announced he would depart on an older Air Force One "for old time's sake," while the new plane stopped at the same base for service members to tour.
The White House Communications Director said the Qatari-donated jet has high-level security protocols, adding that "there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats." The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.