Members of Trump’s cabinet remained on decoy plane, after president’s quiet exit

Members of former US President Donald Trump's cabinet were on a decoy plane that Trump secretly left before boarding a separate flight in Turkey last month, according to CBS News. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent continued to stay on the aircraft that appeared to be Air Force One, not boarding the flight provided to Trump due to security concerns related to Iran.

Once Trump entered Air Force One alongside officials and press members on July 8, he hid on a catering truck to be moved secretly to a military plane. The term "Air Force One" refers to any plane the president is on, but in this case, the original aircraft retained the call sign, acting as a decoy. Rubio and Bessent were on board the initial aircraft to maintain the line of succession in case of an emergency affecting Trump.

Vice-President JD Vance, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and President Pro Tempore of the Senate were next in line if the President was incapacitated or deceased. Other individuals who stayed on the original aircraft included White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Steven Cheung, the White House communications director.

Prime Minister Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, and others were also present on the plane carrying Trump out of Ankara. The reason for the deception was decided by the US military and the Secret Service, who wanted Trump to travel in a different aircraft. The exact nature of the security threat remains undisclosed, though it was related to a shoulder-mounted missile launcher and the possibility that Iran knew Trump's whereabouts.