WASHINGTON, Aug 13 – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained aboard a plane that was presented as President Donald Trump’s aircraft when Trump secretly transferred to another military jet during his departure from Turkey last month, a senior U.S. official familiar with the episode said Wednesday.
The unusual security operation was carried out after U.S. intelligence raised concerns about a possible Iranian threat against Trump following his participation in the NATO summit in Turkey. Trump was moved away from the aircraft that journalists and some White House personnel believed he was using for the journey home, while the original plane continued its scheduled departure with other senior officials aboard.
The senior official, who was briefed on the security arrangements and spoke on condition of anonymity because the details involved sensitive presidential travel, said Rubio knew about the aircraft switch and understood the threat that had prompted the precaution. The official could not say why Rubio ultimately remained on the plane or whether he had been given the option to transfer with Trump.
Bessent was also believed to have had some awareness of the security situation, although the official said there was no certainty about how much the Treasury secretary knew regarding the specific details of the threat or the president’s movements.
The revelation adds another layer to the increasingly detailed account of the extraordinary measures taken to protect Trump as he left Turkey. The president has faced multiple assassination attempts and threats during his political career, prompting security agencies to maintain unusually strict procedures around his movements.
The difference in protection afforded to Trump and other senior officials was also significant in this case. The official emphasized that security precautions surrounding a sitting president are substantially more extensive than those applied to Cabinet officials, even when those officials are among the highest-ranking members of the administration.
Rubio and Bessent occupy especially prominent positions in the federal government. Under the Constitution, the secretary of State and secretary of the Treasury are next in the presidential line of succession after the vice president and the top-ranking members of the House and Senate. Their presence on the aircraft therefore meant that two officials with major responsibilities in the event of a presidential emergency were traveling on the same flight that was being used as part of the deception.
Trump had traveled to Turkey for the annual NATO gathering aboard a newly refurbished aircraft provided by Qatar. The striking red, white and navy blue jet had attracted considerable attention because of its size, luxury interior and potential future use as Air Force One.
Before leaving Ankara, however, Trump announced that he would not immediately use the new aircraft for the first portion of his journey home. At the time, he offered an ordinary explanation for the decision, saying the plane would be flown ahead so that U.S. military personnel stationed in eastern England could have an opportunity to inspect it.
That explanation helped preserve the appearance that Trump would be traveling on an older blue-and-white Air Force One aircraft for at least part of his return to the United States.
Behind the scenes, however, the president was being moved onto another aircraft.
The Washington Post reported earlier this week that Trump was not actually aboard the older Air Force One during the return journey. According to that account, the president was quietly transferred to a smaller military jet using a catering cart, allowing the movement to take place without drawing attention from reporters or other people around the aircraft.
The operation was designed to make it appear that Trump was still traveling aboard the plane that had been publicly identified as his aircraft. Journalists and some White House staff members were reportedly allowed to believe they were accompanying the president as the flight began its journey back to Washington.
The New York Times and CBS News had previously reported that U.S. intelligence officials had warned of a credible potential threat involving Iran or Iranian-linked actors. Those concerns contributed to the decision to introduce additional security measures around Trump’s departure from Turkey.
The intelligence warnings also affected plans for the Qatari aircraft. Rather than immediately placing the president aboard the newly inaugurated jet for the first leg of his return, officials opted for a different arrangement that made it more difficult for anyone monitoring the president’s movements to identify his actual aircraft.
Trump addressed the unusual flight arrangements publicly on Tuesday, acknowledging that he had been transferred to another plane.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Trump said the decision had been made by the Secret Service and the military, and that he followed their instructions.
The president described the alternative aircraft as equally safe and said he accepted the decision because the security agencies responsible for protecting him wanted him to use a different flight.
The president’s comments confirmed that the unusual aircraft movement was not simply a logistical change, but part of a security decision made by the agencies responsible for presidential protection.
The episode illustrates the level of secrecy that can surround presidential travel when intelligence agencies identify a potential threat. While presidential movements are routinely protected by layers of security, the use of a decoy aircraft and the separation of Trump from senior Cabinet officials underscores the seriousness with which authorities treated the warning.
It also highlights the competing demands placed on officials traveling with the president. Rubio, who serves as the nation’s top diplomat, was aware of the plan but remained aboard the aircraft that was effectively serving as a decoy. Bessent, the Treasury secretary, was also aboard, although officials were less certain about the extent of his knowledge.
The precise nature of the Iranian threat has not been publicly disclosed. U.S. officials have not provided evidence publicly establishing that an attack was imminent, and the decision to conceal Trump’s location appears to have been based on precautionary security assessments rather than a confirmed attack.
The details nonetheless provide a rare glimpse into the precautions taken around a president who has been the target of repeated assassination attempts. The decision to move Trump secretly while allowing another aircraft to proceed as though it carried him was intended to make it more difficult for potential attackers to determine his real location.
For the administration, the episode also demonstrates how presidential security can require even senior officials to play supporting roles in carefully constructed travel plans. Rubio’s knowledge of the switch and Bessent’s likely awareness show that the operation involved people close to the president, while the secrecy surrounding the president’s actual aircraft remained tightly controlled.
The circumstances surrounding the Turkey departure are likely to draw continued attention as more information emerges about the intelligence assessment that prompted the operation. For now, U.S. officials have confirmed that the president’s return flight involved a deliberate deception, with Trump secretly separated from the aircraft that others believed was carrying him home.