Secret plane swap at NATO summit raises security questions amid Iran tensions
Washington Post report details how US leader was shuttled via catering truck to avoid detection, sparking calls for congressional inquiry and debate over the safety of the new Qatari-gifted aircraft.
US President Donald Trump secretly departed the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on a smaller military aircraft while the White House publicly maintained he was travelling on Air Force One, following an Iranian assassination threat. The Washington Post reported that the President was shuttled from the legacy Air Force One to an alternate C-32A jet via a catering truck to avoid detection by journalists and staff who believed they were on the same plane.
The operation occurred amidst ongoing US military strikes in Iran and raised security concerns regarding the new Qatari-gifted aircraft. Trump had initially boarded the older, baby blue Air Force One in view of cameras before being moved minutes later. The ruse was carried out as journalists and some White House staff members were led to believe they were on the same plane as the president as he began his journey back to Washington.
According to the report, Trump and aides exited the legacy plane using a hydraulically elevated catering truck positioned at a door opposite the main entrance. Journalists on the legacy plane were advised to lower their window shades before takeoff. After arriving at Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the UK, news photographers captured images of Trump disembarking the presidential plane, suggesting he reboarded Air Force One out of sight of the press pack.
The White House did not directly respond to questions about the secret operation, with communications director Steven Cheung stating that the President uses every tool at his disposal to address threats. The US Secret Service declined to comment, and the Air Force referred questions to the White House. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal called for a congressional investigation, describing the incident as unprecedented and surreal.
Former Secret Service agent Paul Eckloff described the move as unusual but not unprecedented, potentially reflecting actionable intelligence or an abundance of caution. The swap had spurred questions about the security of the Qatar-provided aircraft, and Trump said last month after the trip that it would undergo additional upgrades. Cheung on Monday maintained that the new, Qatari-gifted plane was a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff.
