Trump flew secretly from Turkiye due to Iranian threat, the Washington Post reports

US President Donald Trump secretly flew from Turkey to Britain on a non-Air Force One plane last month, the Washington Post reported. The move came after Iran threatened to assassinate Trump, prompting the White House to take extraordinary measures. Trump had originally planned to use the newly renovated Qatari-donated jet for his trip to NATO, but opted for an older Air Force One instead, raising questions about the security of the newer plane.

The President stated that he chose the older aircraft "for old time's sake" while the new plane stopped at the same base for US service members to tour it. Intelligence sources revealed that Trump was secretly transferred to an Air Force C-32A via an airport catering truck, which was used as a decoy plane to avoid detection. This operation was reminiscent of a similar incident in 2000 when President Bill Clinton used an unmarked executive jet to fly to Pakistan.

During the secret flight, reporters and some White House staff were instructed to keep their window shades closed, believing they were traveling with Trump on the decoy plane. Trump reassured journalists that they were on a dangerous flight, stating, "But if I go, you go. Right?" The C-32A carrying Trump arrived in Britain around 10:20 p.m., followed by the older Air Force One and the press pool a few minutes later.

It was unclear how Trump moved from the C-32A to the older plane. The White House defended the use of the secret flight, stating that the Qatari-donated jet is equipped with high-level security protocols to protect the President and his staff.