Credible missile threat led to secret aircraft switch for Trump, source says

Concerns over a potential missile attack prompted President Donald Trump to undergo an unanticipated change in transportation during a trip to Turkey in July, according to a source familiar with the situation. The threat arose on the final day of Trump's visit to Ankara for the NATO summit, as tensions escalated with Iran. The Secret Service deemed the risk of an attack on Air Force One as credible and imminent, prompting a secretive operation to relocate the president onto a smaller government jet.

The switch was executed covertly, with Trump and a small group of aides transferring from the large presidential aircraft to a nondescript C-32A jet via a catering truck. Meanwhile, Air Force One continued its journey to a refueling stop in Britain, carrying senior administration officials, White House staff, and the press corps.

Trump attributed the switch to the Secret Service's recommendation, claiming the smaller plane might have been a more likely target for the missile. The threat involved a heat-seeking missile, specifically the Iranian SA-67 or the Russian 9K333 Verba. While some media figures and lawmakers questioned whether the operation left Trump's team and journalists at risk on the presumed decoy plane, no response was provided by Turkish officials.