Trump Says Secret Service Made Him Swap Planes In Turkey Due To ‘Threat’

What Do We Know About The Plane Swap?

On Monday night, the Washington Post first reported that the president swapped planes last month while departing from Turkey after a NATO summit. Trump had arrived in Turkey in the new Qatari-gifted jet, which was on its debut international trip as the new Air Force One. Trump and the White House had announced he would depart on board the old Air Force One jet, but after he boarded the plane in public view, he was secretly whisked away to a C-32A—the type of plane primarily used by the vice president and other senior cabinet members—on a catering truck. Earlier reporting about the President’s departure from Turkey had focused on the decision to use the old Air Force One jet instead of the Qatari-gifted plane due to its purported lack of security features. The New York Times reported that some White House staff members and the reporters on board the larger jet were not made aware of the secret swap and believed they were flying with the president on board. After the jets landed in the U.K., Trump was quietly whisked back into the old Air Force One from which he disembarked in view of the reporters. The final leg of the journey from the U.K. airbase to Washington, D.C. was flown on board the new Qatari-gifted plane.

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What Do We Know About The Missile Threat?

Citing an unnamed U.S. official briefed on the matter, the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had briefed the Trump administration about the potential threats, including the use of shoulder-launched missiles to target Air Force One. However, no missiles were fired at any of the planes that departed Ankara, the report added. The New York Times also reported on the shoulder-launched missile threat and noted that the Iranians specifically knew where Trump was staying in Ankara, including details about the floor of the building.

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further reading

Iran Threat Prompted Trump To Secretly Swap Planes While Leaving Turkey, Reports Say (Forbes)

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