Trump switched planes hidden in a food truck over Iran threat: U.S. report
An operation to remove Trump from his usual plane via a food supply truck was reportedly orchestrated by the White House due to security threats.
U.S. President Donald Trump was concealed inside a food supply truck to transfer to a different military aircraft when he left from the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, according to a report by The Washington Post. The White House orchestrated this operation due to an Iranian threat against Air Force One, which reportedly aimed at the president.
Journalists and some White House staff were led to believe they were on the same plane as Trump during his departure, unaware of the deception. Trump originally flew to the summit on a Qatari-gifted plane, but he intended to switch to an older Air Force One once in Turkey. He boarded the older plane in Ankara, visible to cameras, and then headed to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in eastern England.
Minutes after boarding, he was transferred to a smaller military jet, an Air Force C-32A, concealed within an airport catering vehicle. Upon landing, Trump appeared to disembark the older Air Force One, seemingly boarding it out of sight of photographers, making it seem as though he had taken off from Turkey on the original plane.
White House spokesman Steven Cheung stated that such measures are taken to address potential threats against the president, commenting that there are many enemies of America who pose a danger to him. Former Secret Service agent Paul Eckloff noted that while this move is unusual, it may be a result of actionable intelligence or a precautionary measure due to tensions in the region, including the ongoing conflicts in Iran and Ukraine.
Intelligence sources had expressed concerns about potential attacks on the president or his aircraft, leading to the decision to forego the upgraded Qatari Boeing 747-800 for the initial leg of Trump's return journey to Washington. Following the Turkey visit, which took place in early July, the U.S. military carried out missile strikes on Iran in response to attacks on merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Upon his return, the president promised that the Qatari jet would be upgraded for enhanced security.
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