Trump confirms secret plane switch amid Iran threat
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has confirmed that he was moved to a different aircraft while leaving Turkey last month due to a possible threat from Iran. Speaking at Joint Base Andrews, Trump said, "I just follow what they like to do. I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go on a different flight...equal safety but they wanted me to do it, so I did it." Trump was in Turkey for a NATO summit.
Security measures
Details of the transfer
The Washington Post first reported that Trump was moved from Air Force One to a smaller military aircraft, an Air Force C-32A.
The transfer was done using an airport catering truck, normally used for loading meals and supplies preflight.
According to the report, on July 8, Trump was seen boarding an old Air Force One jet in view of television cameras. Minutes later, he was secretly transferred to the smaller US Air Force C-32A aircraft using a catering truck.
Threat details
Deception operation
Israel had reportedly warned the US about a potential threat from Iran.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Israeli intelligence suggested that Iran was planning to target Trump's aircraft with shoulder-fired missiles.
Despite the threat, some senior officials of the Trump administration stayed aboard Air Force One.
The deception operation was similar to a tactic used in 2000 when then-President Bill Clinton flew into Pakistan on an unmarked executive jet while an official Air Force One served as a decoy.
Media deception
Keeping the press in the dark
Journalists who believed they were traveling with Trump on the older Air Force One were asked to keep the window shades in the press cabin down. Some White House staff members also believed that Trump was on board.
The C-32A carrying Trump reached Britain at around 10:20pm (local time), just minutes before the older Air Force One and media contingent arrived.
It remains unclear how Trump returned to the older aircraft after arriving in Britain.
Trump
'I guess there was a threat'
"I guess there was a threat out there," Trump said during a visit aboard Air Force One to an event in Ohio on Tuesday. "I didn't really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats."
The clandestine operation last month came a day after the US renewed military strikes on Iran after negotiations between Washington and Tehran collapsed. A US official told the Washington Post that a credible threat to Trump involving Iran prompted the "deception operation."