In a clandestine move that underscores the real security dangers playing out during the
Middle East conflict, reports have surfaced that, at the close of last month’s NATO Summit
in Ankara, President Donald Trump was secretly scuttled from Air Force One and
transported via a catering truck to another secured plane for departure from Ankara
International.
According to published reports, the President boarded Air Force One in full view of
television cameras before being transported to a military aircraft with the help of a catering
truck. Journalists and even some White House staff on board did not know he had been
smuggled out.
Reportedly, officials have made public that there was a credible threat that an Iranian
missile could be fired at the plane. The White House did not confirm the switch, though
Trump publicly stated during the summit that he was Iran’s “number one target”, and had
recently re-escalated attacks against them in lieu of collapsed negotiations to end the war.
Trump arrived in Turkey aboard a newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar but announced that
he would leave on the old Air Force One “for old time’s sake”.
On July 8, Trump was captured on media footage boarding the presidential jet. But
according to a report first published by the Washington Post, he was then secretly taken to
a smaller C-32A military aircraft—a modified Boeing 757 often used by the vice president—
via a catering truck which had been elevated to plane level on the opposite side of where
he had boarded.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded the C-32A separately using external stairs to
make the flight appear normal. Press members aboard Air Force One were requested by
the Secret Service to keep their window shades down.
Trump then flew to the UK en route to the U.S., where he reboarded the old Air Force One
after landing at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, an airbase in the UK. It is not clear how he
moved from the C-32A back to the legacy jet.
Trump secretly deplaned the C-32A and reboarded the older Air Force One jet to emerge in
public view of cameras and walk across the tarmac to the newer Qatari-donated Air Force
One, which reportedly lacks certain security measures and will soon be further retrofitted.
When questioned about the security of the Qatari-donated jet, White House
communications director Steven Cheung stated, “The new Air Force one is a state-of-the-
art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of
the President and his staff.”
The U.S. had spent months retrofitting the $400 million Boeing 747-8 in preparation for the
president. Older Air Force One planes have laser technology to blind incoming missiles,
according to sources. It is unclear what systems the Qatari jet has.
There were, however, reports of security concerns regarding the Qatari-gifted jet, including
reports that the Secret Service had urged Trump to switch planes on his return from the
NATO summit.
Also, it is worth noting “Air Force One” is the call sign for any aircraft carrying the U.S.
president. But in this circumstance, the C-32A used the call sign “Reach 18”, while the
aircraft carrying the journalists continued to use “Air Force One” call sign, presumably to
keep up the ploy.
During the flight back to Washington, Trump spoke to reporters on board where he noted
the threats posed by Iran but did not mention his earlier plane switch. When asked by
reporters why they had been told to lower the window shades on the plane from Turkey,
Trump said: “Because you’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we
have to deal with.”
Trump also stated he had a “threat all the time” on his life, and that he is “number one” on
Iran’s “list”.
Jose Zamora, regional director for the Americas for the Committee to Protect Journalists,
said in a statement that the Trump administration “has a responsibility to ensure that
journalists covering the president are not unnecessarily exposed to danger. Reporters
should be informed of credible security threats so they can make informed decisions about
their safety.”
Washington lawmakers quickly spoke up once the report went public.
“The Senate should be immediately briefed on the Iranian threats against the President, the
extraordinary measures taken to get him out of Turkey, any risks posed to U.S. personnel,
and any threat to the homeland,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a
statement on Tuesday, adding it was “unacceptable that Congress was kept in the dark”
and discovered the mission through news reports.
Senator Richard Blumenthal also expressed concern, stating: “I want to know what
precautions were taken to make sure that all of the passengers on that Air Force One,
which was judged too dangerous for the president to fly on, what precautions were taken to
keep the staff and reporters on that plane safe.”
Prior to leaving Turkey on the morning of July 8, Trump said he would take “the former Air
Force One” and the new Qatari-gifted plane would be taken separately to Britain to give the
troops a chance to see the new jet.
Trump also denied that there were security issues with the new Air Force One that could
have prompted him to switch aircraft in Turkey.
There have been other decoy missions undertaken to protect U.S. presidents in the past,
while their whereabouts were later revealed to the public. In the wake of the September 11
attacks, then President George W. Bush was taken to an “undisclosed location”, later
revealed to be a military facility in Nebraska. One year before, President Bill Clinton had
taken an unmarked white plane when visiting Pakistan, which had followed Air Force One
to its destination.
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