Did Donald Trump Secretly Switch Planes In Turkey Amid Iran Threat? New Details Emerge

US President Donald Trump was secretly moved from the older Boeing 747 to a smaller C-32A aircraft amid an Iranian assassination threat, with the Boeing 747 serving as a decoy. He was moved using an airport catering container, while journalists and some officials believed he remained aboard the larger aircraft.

The Washington Post reported that Trump faced an assassination threat from Iran during his visit to Turkey last month. The threat prompted officials to transfer him to a smaller C-32A aircraft, while the former Air Force One was used as a decoy.

Why Did Trump Switch Planes?

Trump was in Ankara for NATO summit and initially publicly appeared to leave on older Air Force One on July 8. The Qatar-gifted Boeing 747 had security concerns, Trump had said, adding that it would undergo additional upgrades.

As cameras clicked, Trump was seen boarding the older Air Force One jumbo jet. Minutes later, he was secretly transferred to a smaller Air Force C-32A via an airport catering truck typically used to load meals and other supplies before flights, according to a US official and documents reviewed by The Washington Post. The Air Force One thus became a decoy, with media and White House staff aboard.

How Was Trump's Aircraft Switch Kept Secret?

To exit that plane without being seen, Trump and several aides stepped aboard an airport catering truck, which was elevated plane-side using hydraulics and positioned at a door on the opposite side of Air Force One's entrance.

The operation occurred a night after the US forces renewed military strikes on Iran negotiations ended in an impasse to end their months-long war. Trump’s actual location was concealed from the American public and many senior US officials for hours.

The blue-and-white C-32A, a modified Boeing 757 used to transport American government officials, had been flown to Turkiye along with the legacy Air Force One and the former Qatari jet to support the president's visit, the US official said.

Defending the jet gifted by Qatar, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement responding to a query by the Washington Post, "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. As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.”