Inside the Secret Service ‘shell game’ to hide US presidents in plain sight
On 8 July, US President Donald Trump boarded Air Force One in plain sight of television cameras as he departed the Nato summit in Turkey.
On July 8, President Donald Trump departed the NATO summit in Turkey aboard Air Force One, but had reportedly been secretly replaced by a catering truck with a military aircraft, a C-32A, which took him to RAF Mildenhall in the UK. Those aboard the original plane remained unaware of the switch. Ronald Kessler, a former Secret Service author, explained that such deception is common to mislead potential threats.
The Secret Service frequently employs tactics like using decoy vehicles during motorcade operations and multiple helicopters for helicopters. In complex trips, aircraft switches are also used. In March 2000, Bill Clinton flew to Pakistan on an unmarked jet, and in 2023, Joe Biden traveled to Ukraine with a minimal press pool. The White House neither confirmed nor denied the latest incident, stating they use all protective measures available.
Experts believe the unusually high threat level in Turkey led to this deception. While the Secret Service is not legally obligated to disclose possible threats, experts argue that they should notify the passengers in case of imminent danger.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
