Trump says Secret Service swapped planes in Turkey after Iran threat

SEATTLE — President Donald Trump’s secret plane switch while leaving Turkey last month has become a major talking point in U.S. media this week. What if the same thing happened in South Korea? Trump publicly boarded Air Force One after attending a NATO summit in Ankara on July 8. But before departure, he was secretly moved via an airport catering truck to a smaller C-32A military aircraft following intelligence about a credible threat against him. The presidential jet departed separately with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, other White House officials, staff and journalists aboard as part of the decoy operation. The operation has received extensive coverage since The Washington Post first revealed it this week, with questions emerging in the media and online about the decision to use the presidential jet as a decoy while carrying officials, staff and journalists. Some Democratic lawmakers have also called for answers about the operation and the risks to those aboard. The debate has even spilled into speculation surrounding White House press secretary

US President Donald Trump said he secretly switched aircraft in Turkey last month on the instructions of the US Secret Service because of an Iranian assassination threat, but maintained that the military plane he eventually took faced a greater risk than Air Force One.Trump made the switch after a NATO summit in Ankara, transferring from Air Force One to a military aircraft via a catering truck as part of an elaborate deception. The White House did not disclose the operation at the time, and it remained secret until media reports emerged this week.Trump Says Military Plane Faced Greater RiskThe secret operation raised questions over whether White House aides and journalists who continued travelling aboard the aircraft presumed to be carrying Trump had been put at risk."I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk," Trump told reporters. "I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think that they would be more likely to go for."Trump also said the decision to change aircraft was made by the Secret Service and the military."Well, it's only up to Secret Service. I just follow what they'd like to do, so I go by Secret Service and the military," Trump said."I guess there was a threat out there. I didn't really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats," Trump said.‘I’d Love To Run’: US President Donald Trump Says He Wants To Seek Third Term In 2028, Acknowledges 22nd Amendment As Major Legal Barrier | VideoSecret Transfer Via Catering TruckThe White House had said at the time that the President was travelling aboard Air Force One from Turkey to Britain. However, moments after Trump boarded the aircraft, he secretly left it via a catering truck and transferred to another military plane for the flight to Britain, according to the Washington Post report cited by Reuters.The unusual operation was prompted by an Iranian assassination threat.The episode later prompted social media memes portraying Trump as hiding in the catering truck. Trump, who often promotes memes depicting himself as a bold and courageous leader, stressed that he had followed the directions of the agency responsible for protecting the President.Also Watch:Qatari-Donated Jet Had Raised Security QuestionsTrump had travelled to Ankara for the NATO summit aboard a newly renovated, Qatari-donated jet but unexpectedly announced that he would use an older Air Force One when leaving Turkey, prompting questions about the newer aircraft's security.The NATO trip marked the new plane's first international journey. Its rapid upgrades had already raised questions about cost and security.The visit also came as hostilities with Iran were escalating. Iran shares a border with Turkey.

In his first public comments on the operation, the president downplayed the risks to officials and journalists who remained on Air Force One for the flight from Turkey.

Donald Trump reportedly took a secret military flight out of Turkey last month in an undercover operation prompted by fears that Iran was planning an assassination attempt against the US president. The operation reportedly involved Trump being transferred between aircraft inside a catering truck.

The president, however, insisted that the smaller plane he flew on board while returning from the NATO summit in Turkey was at “greater risk” than the decoy Air Force One.

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he secretly switched planes in Turkey last month at the direction of the U.S. Secret Service, but that the plane he ultimately flew on was still more vulnerable than Air Force One. Following a NATO summit in Ankara, Trump was transferred from Air Force One to a military plane via a catering truck in an extraordinary deception prompted by an Iranian assassination threat, U.S. media reported. The White House did not disclose the change and it remained a secret until the Washington Post first reported it on Monday. Some media commentators questioned whether the operation left Trump's aides and journalists traveling with him at risk aboard the plane presumed to be carrying the president. "I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk," Trump told reporters on Tuesday. "I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think that they would be more likely to go for." After a day of social media memes portraying Trump as hiding out in the catering truck, the image-conscious president, who often promote

US President Donald Trump claimed an alternative plane he used in Turkey posed greater risk, prompting questions about his safety and the aircraft's security protocols. The new Air Force One features advanced security to protect the President amid threats.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday confirmed a US media report that he secretly switched planes while flying out of Turkey last month due to a security risk. While some journalists left on the original Air Force One flight expressed anger at having unwittingly served as decoys, Trump maintained the military plane he actually took faced a “greater risk”.