Trump secretly switched planes in Turkey to evade Iranian threat

Last month, Donald Trump secretly departed Turkey on a different military aircraft following an Iranian threat against his life, despite the White House stating he was flying on the presidential Air Force One. The Washington Post reported this on Monday, citing a US official familiar with the operation and reviewed documents. Trump had travelled to Ankara for a NATO summit on a Boeing 747 donated by Qatar, which had recently been refurbished. This was the aircraft's first foreign flight, raising questions regarding its cost and security. However, for the return journey, Trump unexpectedly used the older Air Force One, reportedly due to genuine concerns regarding a potential Iranian attack. According to the report, after boarding the older plane in front of cameras, the President was transferred to a smaller Air Force C-32A via a catering truck. The older plane effectively served as a decoy. Journalists who believed they were travelling with Trump were instructed to keep window shades down, and some White House staff were unaware the President was not on board. The specific nature of the threat remains undisclosed. The New York Times and CBS News reported last month that intelligence officials had warned of potential attacks against Trump or his aircraft, leading to the decision not to use the Qatari-donated plane for the first leg of the return. The C-32A carrying Trump arrived at RAF Mildenhall in the UK at approximately 10:20 pm local time; the older Air Force One and the press pool arrived minutes later. The Washington Post noted it is unclear how Trump transferred back to the older aircraft. The press pool reported that Trump descended the stairs of the older plane at 10:56 pm, flashed a victory sign, but did not speak to reporters before meeting military personnel. Trump had previously posted on Truth Social that he was taking the older blue-and-white plane to Mildenhall for "old times' sake" and that the new plane would stop at the same base for troops to view. When asked about the closed shades, Trump suggested they were on a "dangerous flight," adding, "But if I go, you go, right?" White House communications director Steven Cheung stated the Qatari-donated plane is equipped with high-level security systems to ensure the safety of the President and his staff. He added that the President faces many enemies and they use all available tools to counter such threats. The Secret Service declined to comment, the Air Force referred questions to the White House, and the Pentagon did not immediately respond. Paul Eckloff, a former Secret Service special agent, told the Associated Press that such measures could stem from credible operational intelligence or heightened caution in an unstable region. He described the event as "not unprecedented, but unusual." Senator Richard Blumenthal called for a congressional investigation, describing the incident to CNN as "unprecedented, surreal" and "truly alarming." The new aircraft, featuring a red, white, navy, and gold livery chosen by Trump, is a former Qatari Boeing 747 donated to the US last year and refurbished by L3Harris. It is intended to serve as a temporary presidential aircraft until Boeing delivers the delayed next-generation Air Force One fleet.