Inside the Secret Service 'shell game' to hide US presidents in plain sight
Elaborate deception operations and decoys are often used to deceive potential threats to the US president.
On July 8, President Donald Trump was seen boarding Air Force One at the NATO summit in Turkey. However, he had already been transferred to a C-32A military aircraft, which flew him to RAF Mildenhall in the UK. The passengers on the original plane were unaware of this deception. This type of covert maneuver is common in presidential security, according to authors and former Secret Service agents.
Smaller-scale deceptions are frequently used during motorcade operations, while more elaborate tactics are employed for high-risk international trips. In this case, the Secret Service's decision to switch aircraft suggests a high threat level, but it is unclear what specific danger the president faced. The passengers on the original plane were instructed to keep their window blinds down, indicating further efforts to protect their identities.
However, the White House has neither confirmed nor denied the incident, stating that they use all available tools to protect the president.
Written by urgent.news from BBC World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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