"Guess there was a threat out there...": Trump acknowledges secret switching of planes during Turkiye exit
Maryland, August 12
US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that he secretly switched planes while returning from the NATO Summit in Turkiye last month, in the wake of a "threat" to him at the behest of the Secret Service and the military, shortly after a Washington Post report on the incident.
Speaking to the media, Trump said he followed what the Secret Service and military told him to do and got on to a different flight.
"It's only up to the Secret Service. I just follow what they'd like to do. I go by the Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane, equal safety, but they wanted me to do it, so I did it. I do what they say. I guess there was a threat out there. I get a lot of threats," the US President said.
The acknowledgement by President Trump comes after the Washington Post had reported that shortly after attending the NATO Summit in Turkiye on July 8, Trump took a secret flight out of the country amid a threat of an Iranian assassination attempt.
The mission, which was not reported earlier, was carried out unbeknownst to journalists and some White House staff members who believed they were on the same plane as President Trump, as per the material reviewed by the Washington Post, a US official familiar with the operation and another person with knowledge of the President's travel who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Trump added, "This one went over to England where it was shown to the soldiers and they stopped and we showed it to the soldiers. We did a switch over there. It was as per the military and I just have to do what they say."
According to corroborating material reviewed by the Washington Post and the US official, while Trump boarded the old Air Force One jumbo jet in view of cameras, he was secretly shuttled out minutes later into a smaller plane- the Air Force C-32A via an airport catering truck used typically to load meals and other supplies pre-flight.
To exit that plane without being seen, Trump and several aides stepped aboard an airport catering truck, which was elevated plane-side using hydraulics and positioned at a door on the opposite side of Air Force One's entrance, according to the U.S. official and other corroborating material reviewed by the Washington Post.
Hence, the Air Force One was a "decoy" with media and some members of the White House staff aboard, as per the official.
When asked by the media whether it was dangerous to fly on Air Force One, Trump said, "I think actually the plane that I flew on was at a greater risk, because I think that would be the plane they would be more likely to go for."
Taking a dig at the past presidents, he added, "I have a lot of threats you don't know about. Any consequential president has a lot of threats. Non-consequential presidents don't get threatened. I think I am maybe the most consequential president. There's nobody that''s done more than me in a period of almost 6 years."
The blue-and-white C-32A, a modified Boeing 757 used to transport American government officials, had been flown to Turkiye along with the legacy Air Force One and the former Qatari jet to support the president's visit, the US official said as per the Washington Post report.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, after what happened to presidents in the past, this kind of security is necessary. But I find it ironic that a president who talks so much about being transparent took a secret flight. The irony is not lost.
As someone who works in security, I can tell you that these decoy operations are standard practice for high-risk individuals. Trump making it about himself is typical, but the Secret Service deserves credit for their professionalism. They don't get enough appreciation.
I'm more concerned about the "Iranian assassination attempt" part. The US-Iran tensions affect the whole world, including India. We should be careful about how this escalates. 🙏
"Non-consequential presidents don't get threatened" - what a statement! In India, we also have VIP security with decoy convoys and all, but at least our leaders don't brag about it in press conferences. This man needs to understand the difference between leadership and showmanship.
While I'm not a fan of Trump's rhetoric, I do appreciate that he followed the advice of security professionals. In the end, safety should come first. The media would have criticized him regardless - if he didn't switch, they'd say he was reckless; if he did, they call it secretive.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.