U.S. President Donald Trump secretly leaves Turkey on a separate military flight last month after a reported Iranian assassination threat, according to reporting cited by The Washington Post. The White House previously communicated that he was departing aboard Air Force One, but multiple outlets describe an unannounced change of aircraft and a covert transfer at Ankara airport.
The accounts say Trump first boarded an older Air Force One in view of cameras while in Ankara for a NATO summit. He then appears to be moved out of public view using an airport catering truck to a smaller U.S. military plane, which flew him to Britain, while some observers were led to believe he was still on the larger aircraft. Several outlets attribute the details to U.S. officials speaking anonymously to The Washington Post. Others note the episode raised questions about the security of a newly renovated Qatari-donated jet Trump had reportedly used earlier for travel to the summit.
While all outlets agree on the broad sequence—public departure on Air Force One, then a hidden transfer and departure on a smaller aircraft—the reporting emphasizes different elements. Some focus on the Iranian threat motive; others stress the logistics of the catering-truck ruse and the discrepancy between what the White House said and what transpired.
