U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the military plane he secretly boarded in Turkey last month faced a higher level of danger than the aircraft he left behind. He claimed the switch, executed via a catering truck in Ankara, left him on a flight that was a more likely target for an attack. The revelation comes after reports detailed a covert operation designed to evade a potential threat from Iran.
Following a NATO summit, Trump was transferred from the primary presidential aircraft to a backup plane using the catering truck as a screen. U.S. media reported the extraordinary deception was a direct response to an assassination threat. The White House did not disclose the change to the public at the time.
“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.”
Secret Service Directives
Trump emphasized he was following orders rather than directing the security strategy himself. He stated the decision rested entirely with the Secret Service and military advisors. “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,” he said.
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The president admitted he did not press for details on the specific danger. “I guess there was a threat out there. I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats,” Trump added.
Official statements at the time claimed the president was flying aboard Air Force One to Britain. Instead, moments after boarding the designated plane, Trump exited via the catering truck. He then boarded the separate aircraft for the actual flight.
Security Concerns and Staff
For the staff and journalists who remained on the decoy aircraft, the lack of transparency created a precarious situation. Without knowing the president had departed, those individuals were unable to assess their own exposure to the specific threat targeting the commander-in-chief. This creates a difficult scenario for security teams who must balance the physical safety of the principal against the potential collateral risk posed to the traveling press corps and aides.
Some media commentators have questioned whether the operation unnecessarily exposed the aides and reporters who remained on the first plane. The switch remained a secret until the Washington Post reported it on Monday.
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The revelation led to a wave of social media memes mocking the situation. Some images portrayed Trump hiding inside the catering truck, a contrast to the image of bold leadership he often projects. The image-conscious president frequently promotes memes of himself as a courageous leader but downplayed the incident this week.
Aircraft Choice and Timing
The incident has also drawn attention to the aircraft used during the trip. Trump had arrived in Ankara on a newly renovated, Qatari-donated jet. However, he unexpectedly announced he would use an older Air Force One model for the departure flight. That decision prompted questions about the security readiness of the newer plane.
The NATO summit marked the first international travel for the new aircraft. Its rapid upgrades had previously sparked scrutiny regarding cost and security measures. The trip to NATO was the first international travel for the new plane, whose speedy upgrades triggered questions over its cost and security, and took place as hostilities escalated with Iran.
Iran borders Turkey, and the region was experiencing heightened tensions during the summit. The specific mechanics of the transfer—moving the president via a service vehicle typically used for food loading—highlight the extreme measures taken to ensure his safety during the journey.