Trump secretly flew out of Turkiye after NATO summit because of Iran threat: report
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- The Washington Post reported on August 10, 2026 that Trump was secretly transferred from the legacy baby blue Air Force One to a smaller Air Force C-32A military jet via a hydraulically-raised airport catering truck after intelligence flagged an Iranian assassination threat
- Trump had flown into Ankara on a new Qatari-gifted red, white and navy blue jet but publicly announced he would switch to the older Air Force One for the trip home, with reporters and some White House staff led to believe they were traveling with him
- Steven Cheung, White House communications director, did not directly address the ruse but said 'there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him' and called the Qatari-gifted plane 'state-of-the-art' with 'high-level security protocols'
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called for a congressional investigation, telling CNN the incident was 'unprecedented' and 'downright scary'
- Reporters aboard the plane were told to lower their window shades before takeoff; Trump reboarded Air Force One out of sight of journalists at RAF Mildenhall in the UK before completing the trip to Washington on the Qatari aircraft
- Trump told reporters mid-flight 'I have a threat all the time. I'm number one on their list before you,' adding 'But if I go, you go'
- During the summit, the U.S. military conducted a series of large strikes in Iran in retaliation for attacks on merchant shipping in the region
Why it matters: A sitting US president was covertly moved between aircraft in a catering truck to evade an Iranian assassination threat — an extraordinary operational measure that required misleading traveling reporters. The episode has prompted a Democratic senator to call for a congressional investigation and raised fresh questions about the security of the Qatari-gifted Air Force One, which Trump said will undergo additional upgrades.
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