Security Camouflage Plan... Trump Reveals the Backstage of Secretly Switching His Plane in Turkey and Moving by Supply Truck
- Secret Service and military advised maneuvering amid security threat concerns during his departure
- US reports: Iranian plot to target him with a shoulder-fired missile underpinned the exceptional measures
US President Donald Trump revealed details on Tuesday of a secret security operation that accompanied his departure from Turkey last month, confirming that he switched planes based on directives from the Secret Service and the military, and moved out of sight using a specialized catering truck.
Trump told reporters upon arriving at Joint Base Andrews from Ohio that he complied with the security instructions he received, explaining that authorities asked him to travel on a different aircraft that offered the same level of security.
He added that he did not receive many details regarding the reasons for this maneuver, but he suspected a security threat, stating that he did not ask many questions about it due to the numerous threats he receives.
When asked why his presence on Air Force One was considered more dangerous, Trump said that any plane he rides becomes more susceptible to being targeted, noting that in his view, the plane he traveled on was the most likely to be a target.
He confirmed that he was not surprised by the Secret Service’s request to secretly switch planes, pointing out that he receives many undisclosed threats.
When asked if he was concerned about the possibility of being attacked by a shoulder-fired missile while leaving Turkey, Trump said he was not worried, adding, "Honestly, I don’t worry about anything."
Trump’s comments corroborated a report published on Monday by The Washington Post, which stated that he used a catering container at the airport to reach another plane, while the US presidential plane departed Turkey carrying White House officials, security and support staff, and journalists, as part of a deception operation in anticipation of an attack.
New York Times and The Wall Street Journal also reported that Trump’s plane change was based on an Iranian plot to target him with a shoulder-fired missile as he left the NATO summit.
CNN reported that Trump arrived in Turkey on a new plane donated by Qatar to the United States, which was originally intended to be used as a presidential aircraft, before it was announced that he would not depart on it, but rather on an older presidential aircraft.
According to the network, this step was part of a security deception operation: Trump boarded the older presidential aircraft, then secretly departed via a specialized catering truck and moved to a smaller C-32A aircraft belonging to the US Air Force.
Subsequently, the three planes—the Qatar-donated plane, the older presidential aircraft, and the C-32A—departed separately for the United Kingdom. After arriving there, Trump boarded the Qatar-donated plane and returned to the United States on it.
