US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he secretly changed the plane he was flying on to leave a NATO summit in Turkey last month after a potential threat to him. Trump said the decision was made by the US Secret Service and the military, who asked him to travel on a different plane. “I choose the Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to travel on a different flight, a different plane. I just have to do what they say,” Trump told reporters.
According to US media reports, on July 8, Trump was seen boarding Air Force One at Ankara airport, with television cameras filming his departure. However, the president did not stay on the plane. He was secretly escorted out via a food truck and transported to a smaller military aircraft, the C-32A, a modified Boeing 757.
US officials told CBS News that the US had detected a credible Iranian threat to fire a missile at the presidential plane. Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that US intelligence had received information about a person near the NATO summit who was seen with a missile slung from his shoulder.
Some White House staff and journalists on the original plane were unaware that Trump had left. They continued their journey on the plane using the call sign "AF1" to maintain the deception.
Meanwhile, the C-32A aircraft carrying Trump used the call sign “Reach 18.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded the same plane separately, to make the move appear as normal as possible.
Trump said the plane he was traveling on could have been in even greater danger, as an attacker would have been more likely to target the plane believed to be carrying the president.
"I think there was a threat out there. I didn't ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats," Trump declared, adding that there were other threats that the public was not aware of.
According to reports, several members of Trump's cabinet were also on the initial plane, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The secret maneuver took place a day after the United States resumed military attacks on Iran, following the failure of negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Trump had arrived in Turkey on a newer Boeing 747-8, donated by Qatar, but had stated that he would leave on the older Air Force One "for old times' sake."
After leaving Turkey, Trump traveled to the United Kingdom and then returned to Air Force One. However, it is not yet clear how the transition from the C-32A to Air Force One was accomplished.
According to American regulations, "Air Force One" is the call sign used for any aircraft carrying the president of the United States.
