Trump Confirms Secret Plane Swap During Turkey Trip Over Possible Iran Threat
US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he was secretly moved to another aircraft after leaving a NATO summit in Turkey last month because of a potential security threat.
Trump said the decision was made by the Secret Service and the US military, adding that he followed their instructions to use a different flight.
The confirmation follows reports that Trump initially boarded Air Force One at Ankara airport on July 8 before secretly leaving the aircraft through a catering truck and being transported to a smaller military jet.
According to reports, US intelligence had detected a credible threat that Iran could target the presidential aircraft with a missile. The New York Times also reported that intelligence officials had information about an individual near the NATO summit who had reportedly been seen with a shoulder-fired missile.
Trump said he was aware of a threat but did not ask for extensive details.
“I guess there was a threat out there,” he told reporters during a visit to Ohio. “I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats.”
He added that he believed the alternative aircraft could potentially have been at greater risk because it might have been viewed as the plane carrying him.
How the Plane Switch Happened
Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard a newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar but planned to leave aboard the older Air Force One aircraft.
Footage showed him boarding the presidential jet before he was reportedly moved secretly to a catering truck positioned on the opposite side of the aircraft.
The truck transported him to a C-32A military aircraft, a modified Boeing 757 commonly used by senior US officials.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly boarded the smaller aircraft separately, helping maintain the appearance of a normal flight.
Meanwhile, journalists and some White House staff boarded the original Air Force One and were instructed to keep the aircraft’s window shades closed. They reportedly had no idea that Trump was no longer on board.
The aircraft carrying the media continued using the “Air Force One” call sign, while the C-32A carrying Trump reportedly operated under the call sign “Reach 18” to maintain the deception.
Several senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, were reportedly among those who remained on the original aircraft.
The group later stopped at RAF Mildenhall in the UK, where Trump secretly transferred back to the older Air Force One before eventually switching to the newer Qatar-donated aircraft for the final journey to Washington.
Trump had previously described himself as Iran’s “number one target” during the NATO summit and said he faced threats to his life on a regular basis.
The reported operation has also raised concerns about whether journalists and other personnel who remained aboard the decoy aircraft were adequately informed about the potential danger.
Jose Zamora of the Committee to Protect Journalists said authorities have a responsibility to ensure journalists covering the president are not unnecessarily exposed to security threats and should be informed of credible dangers when their safety may be affected.
