President Donald Trump admitted to secretly swapping airplanes while returning from the NATO summit in Turkey after presidential security and the military warned of a maximum threat from Iran. He reportedly escaped via a "food delivery truck" to board a new plane, while journalists and officials remained on the original plane, unaware that Trump had already been taken off.
President Donald Trump confirmed that he secretly changed planes after the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on 8 July, following orders from the Secret Service and the U.S. military due to a potential threat that the plane he was on might be targeted by an Iranian attack.
Trump told reporters he followed the advice of the Secret Service and the military, acknowledging he was ordered to board a different plane instead of the presidential aircraft, Air Force One. He added that he did not inquire much about the details of the threat, as he already receives many threats regularly.
U.S. media reports indicate that U.S. security agencies detected a credible threat from Iran that could involve missile attacks targeting the president's plane. The New York Times reported that intelligence received information about a suspicious individual near the NATO summit area seen carrying a shoulder-mounted missile launcher.
Footage from Ankara airport on 8 July shows Trump boarding Air Force One in front of TV cameras as usual, but afterward, he was taken off the plane via a catering truck that was raised to the level of the aircraft door, then escorted onto a military C-32A plane, a modified Boeing 757 used by the U.S. vice president and senior officials.
According to The Washington Post, the catering truck was parked opposite the boarding point where Trump had embarked. Then, the president was taken off Air Force One without journalists or officials on board noticing.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth boarded the C-32A separately using an external staircase to maintain the appearance of normal travel. Reporters and White House staff remained on the original Air Force One and were ordered to close the window shades, unaware that the president was no longer on board.
Some reporters began to notice irregularities after being told to keep the window shades closed throughout the flight. A photographer briefly opened a shade but was quickly instructed to close it. Additionally, catering trucks were seen both in front of and behind the plane, and media vehicles were parked too far from the motorcade to capture images of Trump boarding.
By protocol, "Air Force One" is the call sign for any aircraft carrying the U.S. president. However, on this flight, the C-32A carrying Trump used the call sign "Reach 18," while another plane with some reporters and officials continued to use the "AF1" call sign to maintain the deception.
The New York Times reported that some members of Trump's cabinet remained on the original plane, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Trump said that although the C-32A plane he switched to was smaller, he considered it more vulnerable than Air Force One because if a threatening party knew which plane he was on, that plane would be the likelier target for attack.
The plane switch occurred amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which intensified after failed negotiations and renewed U.S. strikes on Iranian targets. Trump had said during the summit in Turkey that he was "Iran's number one target."
After leaving Turkey, Trump traveled to the United Kingdom before returning to the original Air Force One. Later, he switched to a new Boeing 747-800 donated to the U.S. by Qatar for the return flight to Washington. However, it remains unclear when Trump was moved back from the C-32A to the original Air Force One.
The revelation of the secret plane switch raised concerns about the safety of journalists and officials still on the original plane, particularly since that plane was used as a decoy to give outsiders the impression that the president remained on board.
Jose Zamora, Americas director of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), said the Trump administration has a duty to protect journalists covering the president from unnecessary danger. He called for the media to be informed of credible security threats so they can make appropriate decisions about their safety.
The incident sparked criticism and ridicule on social media after images and memes circulated showing Trump being taken off Air Force One via a catering truck. Nevertheless, Trump emphasized that the plane switch was done on orders from the Secret Service and the military to counter a possible threat.