President Trump secretly transferred to a different aircraft before departing Turkey at the conclusion of last month's NATO summit. According to a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the operation, the president exited the presidential jet and was transported to another aircraft with the assistance of an airport catering truck. This maneuver was executed after U.S. intelligence discovered a credible threat from Iran and its allied proxies, specifically involving a plot to fire a missile at the plane carrying the president as he left the Turkish capital of Ankara.
During the summit, the president had acknowledged the risks associated with the ongoing U.S.-Iran war, explicitly describing himself as Iran's "number one target." The Washington Post was the first to report on the secret plane-switching maneuver. While the administration maintained silence on the specifics of the decoy, several officials expressed frustration on Monday night that highly classified security tactics and procedures had been exposed, noting that such leaks could limit future protective operations for U.S. presidents.
The security ruse began earlier on July 8, when Mr. Trump announced he would depart Ankara on the older Air Force One rather than a newer jet donated by Qatar. While the president stated he was choosing the older model "for old time's sake" and to allow U.S. forces at a U.K. refueling stop to inspect the newer plane, the Secret Service had advised the use of the older aircraft for security reasons. Video captured the president boarding the older jet, with a catering truck positioned on the opposite side. Moments later, the truck departed and traveled to a separate U.S. government plane, identified as an Air Force C-32A.
The president traveled on the decoy plane to a refueling stop in the United Kingdom, while his staff and members of the press remained on the older Air Force One, believing the president was on board with them. Upon arriving in the United Kingdom, Mr. Trump switched to the newer, Qatari-donated jet, which has been retrofitted by the U.S. Air Force. He later spoke with journalists during the flight across the Atlantic to Washington, D.C.
White House communications director Steven Cheung did not confirm the details of the switch when asked on Monday. He stated that the new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft equipped with high-level security protocols. He added that the administration uses every available tool to address threats from those who have their sights on the president. The Air Force maintains that the newer presidential plane is safe and equipped with advanced technologies to meet mission requirements.
