President Donald Trump has confirmed that he secretly changed aircraft while leaving a Nato summit in Turkey last month, saying the decision was made after security officials identified a possible threat.
Trump told reporters that he followed the direction of the Secret Service and military personnel, who wanted him to use a different flight and aircraft. He said he did not seek extensive details, adding that he receives many threats.
Officials told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that the United States had detected what they described as a credible Iranian threat to fire a missile at the presidential aircraft. The New York Times separately reported that US intelligence had information about a person near the summit who had allegedly been seen with a shoulder-fired missile.
Decoy flight and undisclosed transfer
On 8 July, Trump was filmed boarding the older presidential aircraft at Ankara airport. The Washington Post reported that he subsequently left the plane on the opposite side through a catering truck raised to aircraft level and was taken to a C-32A military aircraft, a modified Boeing 757 commonly used by the vice-president.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded the C-32A separately using exterior stairs, according to the newspaper. Trump said the alternative aircraft might have faced greater risk because it could have been the aircraft an attacker was more likely to target.
Journalists and some White House staff boarded the original plane without knowing the president had left. They were told to keep window shades closed, according to a White House Correspondents’ Association report. A media pool producer said the instruction appeared unusual, while a photographer who briefly opened a shade was reportedly told to close it.
The aircraft carrying journalists continued to use the Air Force One call sign, while the C-32A carrying Trump used the call sign Reach 18. The New York Times, citing two anonymous officials, reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained on the original aircraft.
After a stop at RAF Mildenhall in the UK, Trump moved back to the older jet in another undisclosed transfer before later boarding the newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar for the final journey to Washington. It remains unclear how the transfer at Mildenhall was carried out.
Jose Zamora of the Committee to Protect Journalists said the administration had a responsibility not to expose reporters covering the president to unnecessary danger. He said journalists should be told about credible security threats so they can make informed decisions about their safety.
Source: BBC News
