Several U.S. media outlets reported that President Donald Trump had to switch from the old Air Force One aircraft by hiding inside an airport food service vehicle to board the smaller U.S. Air Force C-32A plane for departure from Turkey after last month's NATO summit. This was done without media and some officials being informed, following U.S. intelligence receiving information about threats from Iran.
The Washington Post reported that U.S. President Donald Trump left Ankara, Turkey, secretly aboard a smaller military aircraft after U.S. security agencies received intelligence about a potential assassination threat from Iran targeting the president.
The event took place on 8 July after Trump attended the NATO summit in Ankara. Before leaving Turkey, Trump boarded the older Boeing 747 Air Force One, the official presidential plane, in front of television cameras and the press.
However, reports said that shortly after boarding, Trump was taken off the plane via an airport food service vehicle, which was hydraulically lifted to another door of the aircraft. He and a small group of aides were then transferred to the smaller C-32A plane to continue their journey to the Royal Air Force base at Mildenhall, England.
This operation led some media and White House staff to believe Trump was still on the old Air Force One, while reporters on that aircraft were instructed to close their window shades before takeoff—a standard security measure in high-risk areas.
The Washington Post cited U.S. officials familiar with the operation and another source, but the Associated Press noted it could not independently verify these reports.
Earlier, several U.S. media outlets reported that intelligence agencies had information suggesting Iran or its proxies might target Trump or the presidential plane, leading security officials to decide against having Trump fly back on the newly acquired Boeing 747-800 from Qatar, recently upgraded for presidential use.
Trump traveled to Turkey on the new plane but before leaving Ankara stated he would travel part of the way on the older Air Force One model, citing the opportunity for U.S. troops stationed in England to see the new aircraft.
After both planes arrived in England, public images showed Trump disembarking the larger plane, raising questions about when and how he returned to the larger aircraft. The Washington Post said it remains unclear how Trump was moved back to the bigger plane.
The incident raised concerns about the safety of the Qatar-provided aircraft. Leading media such as The New York Times and CBS News suggested the real reason was intelligence detecting assassination threats from Iran, combined with the new plane’s missile defense systems not being as fully developed as those on the previous aircraft.
White House Communications Director Steven Jiang confirmed the new plane is equipped with advanced technology and high-level security systems to protect the president and staff, adding that the U.S. uses every available measure to counter threats against Trump.
The U.S. Secret Service declined to comment on the reports, while the U.S. Air Force, responsible for presidential travel, referred questions to the White House.
This occurred amid heightened U.S.-Iran tensions, with the U.S. military conducting several strikes on targets in Iran in response to attacks on commercial vessels in the region while Trump was in Turkey.
A former Secret Service official said such an unusual plane switch might indicate credible intelligence of a threat or be a precautionary measure amid regional tensions.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal called for a congressional investigation into the event, describing it as unprecedented and highly alarming.
After completing duties at the Mildenhall Air Force Base, Trump boarded the new Qatar-provided Air Force One to continue to Washington. When asked onboard if Iran posed a credible threat to Air Force One, Trump said he is always a target and told accompanying reporters, "If I go, you go."