US President Donald Trump secretly switched aircraft while leaving Turkey last month after officials received a credible threat that Iran was planning to assassinate him, an elaborate deception operation first reported by The Washington Post and since confirmed by CBS News, Reuters and other US outlets.
Trump had travelled to Ankara for a NATO summit aboard a newly renovated Boeing 747-8 gifted to the United States by Qatar, intended as a future replacement for the ageing Air Force One fleet. But for his departure on July 8, he publicly announced he would instead board the older Air Force One “for old time’s sake,” and television cameras captured him walking up its stairs.
What happened next was hidden from the press and, reportedly, from some White House staff. Minutes after boarding, Trump was quietly moved via an airport catering truck to a smaller Air Force C-32A, which then flew him separately to RAF Mildenhall in Britain. The older Air Force One, still carrying journalists and staff who believed the president was aboard, effectively served as a decoy. Reporters in the press cabin were reportedly asked to keep their window shades closed during the flight.
The operation took place a day after US forces carried out renewed strikes on Iran, amid the broader breakdown of talks between Washington and Tehran. It was not disclosed publicly at the time.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung did not directly address the plane switch when asked, saying only that the newer Air Force One has been fitted with high-level security protocols. The Pentagon has not responded to requests for comment.
The Post noted a historical parallel: in 2000, President Bill Clinton used a similar decoy tactic, flying into Pakistan on an unmarked jet while sending the official Air Force One separately.
— Daily Archives, World Desk