A top Cabinet secretary was with Trump when he took secret flight from Turkey
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were on the decoy flight last month when President Trump when he secretly switched to a different plane.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled on a separate plane from President Trump during his secret flight from Turkey. The trio were aware of the president's presence on another, undisclosed aircraft. White House aides Natalie Harp, Walt Nauta, and Dan Scavino also accompanied Mr. Trump on the clandestine journey.
On July 8, the president announced his preference for an older Air Force One over a newer, Qatari-donated jet, citing nostalgia and allowing U.S. forces to inspect the new plane at a British refueling stop. The Secret Service, however, urged the president to take the older plane for security reasons. Trump confirmed to CBS News that the decision was made by the military and Secret Service, who informed him of the move due to threats.
Video footage showed Trump ascending the stairs of the old Air Force One, with a catering truck visible on the opposite side. The truck was later seen departing for an Air Force C-32A. The press and Trump's staff continued their journey on Air Force One, unaware they were not aboard the same plane as the president.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
