Trump secretly switched planes after Iran assassination threat in Turkey

President Donald Trump secretly transferred to a smaller military aircraft while traveling through Turkey following a credible Iranian assassination threat, according to The Washington Post. The move came after he arrived in Ankara for the NATO summit in a newer Air Force One, despite previously stating he would leave on the older aircraft "for old time's sake."

Intelligence warnings of a specific threat against the President or his aircraft prompted the covert switch to a C-32A. The operation utilized an airport catering truck to transport Trump from the old Air Force One to the smaller jet, concealing his movement from journalists and some White House personnel. The decoy Air Force One departed Ankara with members of the press, while the President flew to Britain on the C-32A.

The Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8, which underwent significant upgrades, lacked some security features compared to the legacy Air Force One. While the White House maintained that Trump departed on the older aircraft, journalists aboard the decoy plane were not informed of the switch. The incident has raised questions about the level of transparency and the security measures in place during the President's travels.