'Instadocs: The Decoy Plane': Netflix unveils Trump documentary
What's the story
Netflix is set to release a new documentary, Instadocs: The Decoy Plane, which will delve into the covert operation that saw US President Donald Trump being moved from one plane to another during his Turkey visit in July. The unusual security ruse was initially kept under wraps, leaving many in the traveling press corps unaware of Trump's actual movements. The documentary will premiere on Friday, September 4.
Documentary details
Documentary will feature firsthand accounts from journalists
Instadocs: The Decoy Plane will revisit the July 8 incident, featuring firsthand accounts from journalists who were part of the presidential traveling press corps.
Among them is Dan Lamothe of The Washington Post, one of the first reporters to break the story.
The documentary will also include interviews with former Air Force One crew member Wanda Joell and former Secret Service agent Robert McDonald.
Twitter Post
See the trailer here
This July, while flying back from a NATO summit in Turkey, President Trump slipped off Air Force One in a catering truck and secretly boarded a different aircraft — leaving traveling reporters to fly on, unaware the president was no longer with them.
— Netflix (@netflix) September 1, 2026
Instadocs: The Decoy Plane,… pic.twitter.com/iuADnXxMoV
Operation details
The secret operation was carried out due to security concerns
The secret operation was carried out due to security concerns during Trump's NATO summit visit to Turkey.
Reports suggest that Trump was moved to a military aircraft in a catering truck, a common vehicle used on airport tarmacs for transporting food and beverages.
The White House had initially claimed that Trump was on board the Qatar-gifted Air Force One, which was actually used as a decoy to conceal his real movements.
Journey details
Trump switched back to the Qatari Boeing 747
After leaving Turkey, Trump was flown to the Royal Air Force Mildenhall base in Suffolk, England.
He is believed to have switched back to the Qatari Boeing 747 before continuing his journey to Joint Base Andrews near Washington, DC.
A small group of people accompanied Trump during this secret transfer, including White House aide Natalie Harp and then-Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
Other senior officials remained on what effectively became the decoy plane.