Trump confirms secret plane switch at NATO summit over reported security threat
President Donald Trump has confirmed that he secretly changed aircraft as he departed a NATO summit in Turkey last month, after security officials warned of a potential threat.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mr Trump said the Secret Service and military advised him to use a different flight. "I just have to do what they say," he told reporters.
Earlier reports said Mr Trump boarded Air Force One on 8 July in view of television cameras before being discreetly transported to a military aircraft with the help of a catering truck. The elaborate ruse was aimed at concealing his movement from any potential observers.
The last-minute switch has raised questions about whether those on the decoy plane - including journalists and White House staff - were left in danger. Mr Trump, however, maintained that the military jet he boarded instead was at "greater risk".
Officials told the BBC's US partner CBS News that the United States had detected a credible Iranian threat to fire a missile at the aircraft. The specific nature of the threat has not been publicly detailed by the White House, which has not officially confirmed the intelligence finding.
Journalists and some White House staff on board the decoy aircraft did not know the president had been smuggled out as part of the ruse. They only became aware of the switch after landing, according to officials familiar with the operation.
Mr Trump has previously said he was Iran's "number one target" during the summit in Ankara. The incident highlights the elevated security concerns surrounding the US president, particularly in a region where tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high.
The NATO summit, held in the Turkish capital, brought together allied leaders to discuss defence spending, regional security, and the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan. Security arrangements for visiting heads of state are typically extensive, but the reported threat led to an unusually high level of precaution.
The Secret Service, which oversees the safety of the US president, did not comment on the specific operational details. Officials have emphasised that security decisions are made based on the most current intelligence and threat assessments.
The episode underscores the constant risks faced by world leaders during international travel and the measures taken to mitigate such threats. It also raises broader questions about the safety of those accompanying the president, though officials have said that standard procedures were followed.
In response to the reports, the White House has not disputed the account, and Mr Trump's confirmation on Tuesday aligns with the sequence of events described by officials. The full details of the security operation remain classified.
