WASHINGTON : According to reports by The Washington Post and The New York Times, Trump publicly boarded an older Air Force One aircraft in Ankara on July 8 following a NATO summit, giving journalists and television cameras the impression that he would travel aboard the plane to Britain. However, minutes later, he was reportedly moved discreetly from the aircraft inside an airport catering vehicle and transferred to a smaller US Air Force C-32A.
The covert operation was reportedly launched after US officials received information about a credible threat involving Iran. Trump’s actual whereabouts were concealed from journalists and even some White House staff, several of whom reportedly believed he remained aboard the older Air Force One.
The administration had previously said Trump departed Turkey aboard the older presidential aircraft. Trump had also posted on Truth Social that he would fly the “former Air Force One” to RAF Mildenhall in Britain “for old time’s sake”, while the newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar would make a separate stop at the base.
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Journalists travelling on the decoy aircraft were reportedly instructed to keep their window shades closed. Asked later about the unusual instruction, Trump told reporters they had “probably” been on a dangerous flight and joked: “But if I go, you go. Right?”
Trump’s C-32A arrived in Britain at around 10.20pm local time, shortly before the older Air Force One carrying members of the media and White House staff. He was then reportedly taken back to the older aircraft so that he could make what appeared to be a normal presidential arrival.
The travelling press pool reported seeing Trump descend from the older Air Force One at 10.56pm, flash a peace sign and greet US service members before later heading towards the Qatar-donated aircraft.
The episode echoes a similar security operation in 2000, when then-president Bill Clinton travelled into Pakistan aboard an unmarked executive jet while another aircraft served as a decoy.
Responding to reports about the secret flight, White House communications director Steve Cheung said the administration uses every available measure to protect the president from threats and stressed that the newly modified presidential aircraft is equipped with high-level security protocols.
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