Trump escaped an Iranian assassination threat in a very unusual way last month in Turkey

President Donald Trump unexpectedly left the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, last month via an alternative military aircraft while the White House presented a facade that he was boarding Air Force One, according to a report by The Washington Post on Monday. The operation was reportedly initiated due to an Iranian assassination threat against the Republican president.

Journalists and certain White House personnel were led to believe they were aboard the same plane as Trump as he commenced his journey back to Washington from the annual NATO gathering, unaware of the secret transfer. The Washington Post cited internal documents, a U.S. official familiar with the operation, and another person with knowledge of Trump's travel itinerary.

However, the Associated Press has not independently verified the report. Trump had initially traveled to the summit in a new Qatari-gifted red, white, and navy-blue jet. Nonetheless, prior to departing Turkey, he announced he would travel part of the way back on an older model baby blue Air Force One aircraft, explaining that the new luxury jet was being flown out to allow some U.S. troops based in eastern England to inspect the refurbished Air Force One.

At Ankara's airport, Trump boarded the older Air Force One jet in the presence of television cameras, planning to fly it to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. However, per the Post's account, after boarding the legacy Air Force One, he was covertly transferred to a smaller plane, an Air Force C-32A, via an airport catering truck typically used to transport meals and supplies.

Trump ultimately landed on that smaller aircraft in Mildenhall. The White House did not directly address the Post's report of the covert operation or the elaborate ruse to make it appear that Trump was on the baby blue Air Force One jet en route to Mildenhall. "As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats," stated White House communications director Steven Cheung.

The U.S. Secret Service declined to comment, while the Air Force referred inquiries to the White House. The incident has raised questions about the safety of the newly gifted Qatari aircraft. In the wake of the transfer, U.S. military conducted a series of large-scale strikes in Iran in response to Iranian attacks on merchant shipping in the region.

Reports from the New York Times and CBS News suggested intelligence officials had expressed concerns about a potential attack on the president or his jet, leading to heightened security measures and the decision not to utilize the brand-new aircraft presented to Trump by Qatar for the initial leg of his return journey from Ankara.

The unusual move has sparked concerns about the security of the Qatari-provided aircraft, with Trump later expressing his intention to have the new jet undergo further upgrades following the trip. White House communications director Cheung maintained that the new, Qatari-gifted plane was "a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff."

Former Secret Service agent Paul Eckloff suggested that such an unprecedented move could either reflect actionable intelligence or serve as a precautionary measure due to the volatile situation in the region, encompassing the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine. Eckloff told The Associated Press that while not necessarily unprecedented, the incident was certainly unusual.

The Post reported that to avoid detection, Trump and several aides exited the plane without being seen by those unaware of the operation. They boarded an airport catering truck, which was elevated planeside using hydraulics and positioned at a door on the opposite side of Air Force One's entrance. A small group of reporters, misled to believe they were traveling with Trump, were instructed to lower their window shades before takeoff.

Upon arriving at Mildenhall, photographs captured images of Trump disembarking the presidential plane, suggesting he had reboarded Air Force One unseen by the journalists. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal called for a congressional inquiry, deeming the incident "unprecedented and surreal." After a brief visit to Mildenhall, Trump boarded the new Air Force One aircraft to continue his journey back to Washington.

When asked directly during a gaggle with reporters about any credible threats on Air Force One by Iran, Trump responded, "Well, I have a threat all the time. I'm number one on their list before you." He added, "But if I go, you go."