US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he secretly switched planes after leaving a Nato summit in Turkey last month because of a possible Iranian threat.
Trump said the decision was made by the US Secret Service and military officials, and that he followed their instructions without asking for extensive details about the threat.
“I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go in a different flight, different plane,” Trump told reporters.
The revelation follows reports that Trump appeared to board the older Air Force One at Ankara airport on 8 July before secretly leaving the aircraft in an elaborate security operation.
According to the Washington Post, Trump was transported from the presidential jet to a nearby C-32A military aircraft using a catering truck. The vehicle was reportedly raised to the aircraft door on the opposite side from where Trump had initially boarded. The manoeuvre was designed to keep the president’s departure secret. Journalists and some White House staff boarded the original aircraft without knowing that Trump was no longer on board.
Potential Threats Involved
US officials told CBS News, that American authorities had detected a credible threat to fire a missile at the aircraft. The New York Times also reported that US intelligence had information about a person near the NATO summit who had reportedly been seen carrying a shoulder-fired missile.
Trump said on Tuesday that the plane he ultimately boarded could itself have been at greater risk. “That would be the plane, I think, that they would be more likely to go for,” he said, explaining that he had trusted the security officials who made the decision.
The president also said he was accustomed to receiving threats against his life.“I guess there was a threat out there,” Trump said during a visit aboard Air Force One in Ohio. “I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats.”
He added: “I have a lot of threats that you don’t know about.”
The reported plane swap took place a day after the United States resumed military strikes against Iran. This came following the collapse of negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard a newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar. However, he had announced that he would leave on the older Air Force One “for old time’s sake”.
Info from Footage
Footage showed Trump boarding the presidential aircraft at Ankara airport. He later reportedly slipped out through the other side of the plane and into a catering truck. The truck transported him to the nearby C-32A.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly boarded the C-32A separately using external stairs. The move helped make the flight appear routine and avoid drawing attention to the president’s absence from the original aircraft.
The journalists travelling with Trump were reportedly instructed to keep the window shades closed. A media pool producer later said the instruction appeared unusual, particularly because the press had not been told about any security threat.
The producer’s account was included in a report by the White House Correspondents’ Association. They also noted that two catering trucks appeared to be positioned around the presidential aircraft when journalists arrived.
The aircraft carrying Trump used the call sign “Reach 18”, while the original plane continued using “AF1”. All to maintain the impression that the president was still aboard. Members of Trump’s cabinet were reportedly left on the original aircraft. The New York Times, citing two anonymous officials, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were among those who remained on board.
Trump later flew to the United Kingdom, where he reboarded the older Air Force One after it landed at RAF Mildenhall. It remains unclear exactly how he transferred back to the presidential aircraft.
He subsequently transferred to the newer Air Force One donated by Qatar for the journey back to Washington. During that flight, Trump discussed the threats he faced from Iran. However, he did not reveal that the plane swap had already taken place.
When asked why journalists had been told to close the window shades after leaving Turkey, Trump said they were “probably on a dangerous flight” because of the threats he faced. He had previously claimed during the NATO summit that he was Iran’s “number one target”. The reported security operation has raised questions about the safety of those who remained on the decoy aircraft. This included journalists and senior officials. Trump, however, said the aircraft he boarded could have been the more likely target.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has also raised concerns about the decision not to inform reporters about the potential danger. Jose Zamora, the organisation’s regional director for the Americas, said the Trump administration had a responsibility to ensure journalists covering the president were not unnecessarily exposed to danger.
“Reporters should be informed of credible security threats so they can make informed decisions about their safety,” Zamora said.
The White House and US security agencies have not publicly disclosed the full details of the alleged Iranian threat. Neither have they explained how the intelligence affected the decision to secretly move Trump to another aircraft.
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