President Donald Trump was secretly transported away from last month’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, using a catering truck and a secondary military plane as part of an elaborate « deception operation » designed to make it appear as though he was traveling aboard Air Force One as usual, according to a report published by The Washington Post on Monday.
The covert movement was triggered by an assassination threat from Iran targeting the president, the newspaper reported. Journalists and several White House personnel were left believing they were traveling on the same aircraft as Trump as his return journey to Washington, D.C., commenced following the annual gathering of alliance leaders.
The Washington Post based its account on reviewed documentation, a U.S. official aware of the operation, and another individual familiar with the president’s travel arrangements. The New York Times reported similar details.
How the Operation Unfolded
According to the Post, Trump boarded the legacy Air Force One jumbo jet in full view of television cameras as he departed Ankara. But minutes later, he was quietly shuttled to a smaller Air Force C-32A plane via an airport catering truck typically used to load inflight meals and other supplies.
To exit the larger plane without being seen by those uninvolved in the operation, Trump and several aides stepped aboard the catering truck, which was elevated planeside using hydraulics and positioned at a door on the opposite side of Air Force One’s main entrance, the Post reported. He then flew aboard the smaller aircraft to RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom before eventually continuing his journey back to the United States.
Trump’s actual location was concealed from reporters and some White House staff members for the duration of the ruse.
The Threat Behind the Swap
The deception was set in motion after the United States detected what officials described as a credible threat against Trump involving Iran. The U.S. Secret Service swiftly moved to a backup strategy upon receiving the intelligence.
The threat emerged while Trump was attending the NATO summit. He had flown into Ankara on the newly donated Air Force One — a $400 million Boeing 747-8 gifted by the Qatari government and retrofitted over several months to carry the president. That newer plane, however, lacks the same advanced defensive capabilities as the older Air Force One, according to earlier reporting by The New York Times.
After the U.S. government picked up on the threat, the Secret Service urged Trump to change planes. He subsequently departed Turkey on the older Boeing VC-25A that has carried presidents for more than three decades. The older plane’s transponder was temporarily disabled early in the flight after takeoff, a security measure that left consumer flight trackers unable to monitor it.
CBS News reported that the U.S. had detected a credible plot to fire a missile at the plane. Multiple people briefed on the matter told The Indian Express that officials judged there to be a credible threat that Iranian proxy forces were targeting both Trump and Air Force One.
Intelligence From Israel
Israeli intelligence shared with the Trump administration indicated that elements of Tehran’s hardline leadership harbored a desire to target the American leader, according to an Israeli source and a U.S. official who spoke to CNN. The intelligence was described as reflecting a broader intent rather than a specific, detailed operational plan.
At the time of the swap, there were reports that Israel had shared intelligence with the United States about Iranian efforts to kill Trump.
Trump’s Own Account
During the flight, Trump denied to reporters accompanying him that security concerns involving Iran were a factor in flying two planes home. When asked directly whether there were credible Iranian threats against Air Force One, Trump brushed off the question.
« I have a threat all the time. I’m No. 1 on their list, » he said, repeating comments he had made earlier in which he described himself as one of Iran’s top assassination targets.
When pressed on why reporters aboard the plane were asked to lower their window shades on the ascent out of Ankara, Trump allowed that security concerns related to Iran could be a factor, telling CNN that Air Force One could be « a dangerous plane because of the sleaze bags we have to deal with. »
The president had mentioned the possibility of an assassination attempt from Iran during the NATO summit, following fresh U.S. strikes on the country, which shares a border with Turkey.
Sources: The Washington Post via The Independent ; The Guardian ; CBS News ; CNN ; The Indian Express ; AP News ; AsiaOne .
Note: This article is based on published reports. The full Washington Post account, cited by multiple outlets, draws on documentation and officials familiar with the operation.