U.S. President Donald Trump undertook a covert military journey from Turkey recently, necessitated by an Iranian threat to his safety. The operation involved him transferring between aircraft discreetly using a catering truck. Initially, the White House indicated that Trump was flying on Air Force One from Turkey to Britain after attending a NATO summit. However, moments after boarding the plane, Trump exited secretly through the catering truck and switched to another aircraft for the flight to Britain, as reported by the Washington Post based on undisclosed sources.
Trump later confirmed the sequence of events, revealing that the Secret Service and military personnel insisted on moving him to a different plane due to a perceived threat, which he claimed did not intimidate him. He minimized the perceived danger to the individuals left on the original plane, including White House officials, security personnel, and journalists. Trump mentioned that he was directed to board an alternative flight due to a security concern and acknowledged that he did not inquire much about the specific threat since he regularly receives numerous threats.
The decision to change planes raised security inquiries as Trump had initially utilized a recently refurbished jet donated by Qatar for the NATO summit in Ankara but opted for an older Air Force One aircraft when departing Turkey. The sudden transition to the older plane raised scrutiny about the security measures of the newer jet, especially amid heightened tensions with Iran, which shares a border with Turkey.
Before departing Ankara, Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he would use the older baby blue Air Force One for the journey to RAF Mildenhall in Britain, while the newer aircraft stopped at the same base to allow U.S. service members stationed there to tour the plane. Journalists, who believed they were accompanying Trump on the older Air Force One, which was utilized as a diversion, were instructed to keep their window shades in the press cabin closed.
It was reported that apart from the journalists, some White House staff also mistakenly assumed that the president was onboard the older plane. When questioned about the need to keep the window shades closed during the flight, Trump attributed it to safety concerns, hinting that it was a precautionary measure for a potentially risky journey. He further emphasized the shared risk, stating, “But if I go, you go. Right?”