Trump says he switched planes after Nato summit because of possible threat

President Donald Trump disclosed on Tuesday that he switched planes during a NATO summit in Turkey in July due to a possible threat, according to his own account. "I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go in a different flight, different plane," Trump said to reporters. The president did not provide further details about the nature of the threat, but it came to light after reports that Trump boarded Air Force One at Ankara airport on July 8, ostensibly for security reasons.

However, he was later transported to a military aircraft, a C-32A modified Boeing 757, in a covert operation. This move raised concerns about the safety of those on the decoy plane, but Trump insisted the military jet he boarded instead had a "greater risk." Officials confirmed to CBS News that the US had received credible intelligence about an Iranian threat to launch a missile at the plane.

Journalists and some White House staff on board remained unaware of the president's sudden departure, as they were instructed to close their window shades. The covert maneuver took place a day after the US conducted military strikes on Iran in response to a breakdown of negotiations aimed at ending the conflict. Trump had initially arrived in Turkey aboard a newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, but opted to leave on the older Air Force One "for old time's sake."