WASHINGTON, Aug 12 – President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the Secret Service and U.S. military officials urged him to leave Air Force One and travel on another aircraft after his visit to Turkey last month because of a security threat that he said was linked to Iran.
Trump said he did not regard the threat as particularly alarming and suggested he accepted the unusual security arrangement because his protection team believed it was necessary. The episode involved an extraordinary effort to conceal his movements, with Trump reportedly being moved from the presidential aircraft while Air Force One departed separately, apparently serving as a decoy.
“They wanted me to go on a different flight, different plane,” Trump told reporters after returning from an event in Ohio. “I guess there was a threat out there. I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats.”
His comments confirmed details previously reported by The Washington Post, which said Trump was secretly transferred to another aircraft following the NATO summit in Turkey because U.S. officials had received a credible threat from Iran.
The unusual operation remained undisclosed for several weeks, raising questions about presidential security, transparency and the role of the White House press corps in documenting the president’s movements.
Trump, however, appeared to dismiss concerns about the danger involved.
“I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk,” he said, without offering specific details about the nature of the threat or explaining why officials considered separating him from Air Force One necessary.
“I don’t worry about anything, to be honest,” Trump added. “Whatever it is. You know my attitude? Whatever!”
Trump Secretly Leaves Air Force One as Decoy Aircraft Takes Off
The security operation unfolded after Trump attended a NATO summit in Turkey. According to accounts of the incident, the president was moved away from the presidential aircraft shortly before Air Force One departed.
The method used to move him was highly unusual. Trump was reportedly concealed inside an airport catering vehicle before being transferred to another government aircraft. Air Force One then took off without him, creating the appearance that the president remained aboard.
Trump later traveled on a smaller government aircraft from Turkey to Britain. Afterward, he secretly returned to the presidential aircraft, eventually rejoining the flight without the traveling press corps knowing exactly what had happened.
The operation was notable not only because of the effort required to protect the president, but also because the other people aboard Air Force One were apparently left without knowing that Trump was no longer on the aircraft.
That group included White House personnel, security and support staff, as well as journalists traveling with the president. The press pool is normally expected to maintain independent knowledge of the president’s location and activities, particularly during international travel.
Garrett M. Graff, author of “Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself, While the Rest of Us Die,” said presidents have previously used decoy aircraft and secret travel arrangements during dangerous overseas missions.
But he described Trump’s case as different because the secrecy surrounding the president continued even after the immediate danger had apparently passed.
The White House has not publicly disclosed many details about the threat, including precisely what intelligence prompted the decision, who was believed to pose the danger or why the specific aircraft arrangement was considered necessary.
The episode also drew attention because Trump was traveling aboard a luxury aircraft provided by Qatar. The plane, which has been discussed as a possible future presidential aircraft, does not have all of the missile warning and defensive systems found on some older aircraft used for presidential transportation.
Presidents Often Take Secret Trips — But Not Like This
Presidents have frequently relied on secrecy and deception when traveling to conflict zones or locations considered potential targets. The difference in Trump’s case, however, was the apparent separation between the president and the people who normally travel with him and document his movements.
In 2023, President Joe Biden made a secret journey to Ukraine to demonstrate U.S. support for Kyiv during Russia’s invasion. His motorcade left the White House in the early hours of a Sunday, after which Biden boarded a modified Boeing 757 and flew toward Poland.
From there, Biden traveled by train for roughly 10 hours to Kyiv. The trip was kept secret until the president was safely on the ground, but two journalists accompanied him and were able to report on the visit.
Trump also used elaborate secrecy during his first presidency. In November 2019, he made an unannounced Thanksgiving trip to Afghanistan to visit U.S. troops at Bagram Airfield. Officials maintained the appearance that Trump was spending the holiday at his Florida residence, while a separate press arrangement and aircraft helped preserve the deception.
During that trip, journalists eventually documented Trump’s meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his interactions with American service members.
President George W. Bush also made a secret trip to Iraq in 2003. News of the visit was withheld until Bush was already flying back to the United States. President Barack Obama similarly made a nighttime trip to Afghanistan in 2010 while his public schedule indicated that he was expected to remain at Camp David.
Other presidents have used aircraft deception as part of security operations. In 2000, President Bill Clinton secretly traveled from India to Pakistan during a period of tension surrounding Kashmir. Clinton appeared to board one military aircraft, but instead moved around the front of the plane and boarded another aircraft nearby.
Several aircraft subsequently departed for Islamabad, including a plane painted in the familiar colors associated with Air Force One.
Joe Lockhart, who served as Clinton’s White House press secretary, later said journalists had been informed that Clinton would not travel on the aircraft they were aboard, although they were not told exactly which plane he would use. Lockhart argued that the arrangement protected the president without misleading the press about whether he was aboard their aircraft.
Trump Episode Raises Questions About Security and Transparency
The circumstances surrounding Trump’s Turkey departure have nevertheless prompted a broader debate about how presidential security should be balanced with public accountability.
During the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, officials also moved President Bush through a series of undisclosed locations after commercial air traffic was grounded. Bush was flown from Florida to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and then to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska before returning to Washington.
The White House kept Bush’s exact location secret during the crisis, but the traveling press corps remained part of the operation. Journalists were transported with the president for portions of the journey, while the administration did not publicly suggest that Bush was aboard an aircraft when he was not.
That distinction has become central to criticism of Trump’s Turkey operation.
Graff said the press corps has a role that goes beyond simply reporting on presidential activities. Having journalists independently track the president can provide an important confirmation of where the commander in chief is and who is exercising presidential authority.
The secrecy surrounding Trump’s movements also creates questions about what might have happened if Air Force One had faced an attack while the president was actually traveling on another aircraft.
Trump himself had previously brushed aside concerns when reporters asked about the unusual flight arrangements, telling them, “If I go, you go. Right?” That comment suggested that the president and journalists were facing the same danger, although the later revelation showed that Trump had actually been separated from the press pool.
The White House has not provided a full public account of the security operation. It remains unclear what prompted the threat assessment, how long officials had been concerned, and what specific measures were taken to protect the president.
For Trump, the incident appears to have been treated as another example of the security precautions that accompany the presidency. His comments indicate that he accepted the decision of his protection team but did not consider the threat serious enough to cause him personal concern.
For critics, however, the episode raises a different issue. Presidential security measures can require secrecy, particularly when a credible threat exists, but the unusual decision to separate the president from his normal traveling party has intensified questions over how much information should eventually be disclosed once the danger has passed.
The incident demonstrates the extraordinary lengths U.S. officials may take to protect a president while also highlighting the difficult balance between operational secrecy, presidential security and the public’s ability to independently verify the whereabouts of the nation’s leader.