A supposed Iranian threat prompted President Donald Trump to depart a NATO summit in Turkey last month via military aircraft instead of Air Force One. However, two cabinet secretaries and journalists who routinely fly with the president were left aboard the threatened plane.
According to a U.S. official familiar with the operation, Trump boarded an older Air Force One jet in Ankara while television cameras were present. Minutes later, he was secretly transported to a smaller aircraft—a military C-32A—using a catering truck typically used for pre-flight meals and supplies. This maneuver made the original Air Force One a “decoy” with media personnel and some White House staff aboard.
Trump claimed on social media that he would fly on the “former Air Force One” to honor the military, stating: “To honor our brave men and women of the Military, we are sending the brand new… Air Force One to Mildenhall Air Force Base, in the United Kingdom.”
The president’s security team reportedly informed him that the military and Secret Service wanted him to take a different flight. When questioned about why it was too dangerous for him to fly on Air Force One but not members of the press, Trump said: “I think, actually, the plane that I flew on was at greater risk.”
Video footage captured by journalists showed Trump walking up the stairs of the older Air Force One and disappearing into the aircraft, with a catering truck visible on the other side. The two cabinet secretaries—Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent—along with White House aides including Natalie Harp, Walt Nauta, Dan Scavino, Stephen Miller, Will Scharf, Steven Cheung, Mike Needham, Ross Worthington, and Monica Crowley—were aboard the decoy plane. The officials confirmed they were aware Trump was on a secret flight.
Trump stated he had been warned by Israeli intelligence about an impending attack on Air Force One, though it remains unclear whether such a threat was real or fabricated to pressure the administration. A U.S. official noted: “This wasn’t a war zone or hostile territory. It was Ankara, at a gathering of the most powerful military alliance on the planet, surrounded by the exact people whose entire job is keeping him safe.”
The incident occurred as Trump claimed he had an ongoing threat from Iran and was “number one” on Iran’s list.
