President Donald Trump was secretly moved from Air Force One to a secondary military aircraft in Turkey after U.S. intelligence picked up an Iranian threat against him, according to a report published this week. The elaborate security maneuver, which involved a catering truck and a backup plane, was designed to shield Trump from a potential assassination attempt while he was attending the NATO summit in Ankara.
White House communications director Steven Cheung confirmed the threat and the security response, telling NewsNation: "As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats."
How the switch unfolded
The incident occurred in July as Trump was leaving the NATO summit. Military officials received the threat while the president was still on the ground, prompting an immediate change in his travel plans. Trump boarded the older Air Force One jet publicly, with reporters and staff watching, making it appear he was on board. But once out of view, he was slipped through a catering truck used to stock the plane's galley and transferred to a smaller military aircraft.
From there, Trump was flown to RAF Mildenhall in the U.K., where he rejoined Air Force One and was seen disembarking normally. He then used the newer, Qatari-gifted Air Force One to return to Washington. The ruse was so effective that a catering truck is clearly visible in Associated Press photos parked beside Air Force One on the tarmac at Ankara International Airport.
Trump later told reporters that he was Iran's "number one target," and he had previously announced he would fly back on the older model to showcase the newer one to U.S. troops stationed in Britain.
Timing and broader context
The switch came just one day after the U.S. declared that any initial agreement with Iran was "over" and that strikes on Iranian targets would resume. That escalation heightened fears of retaliation against American officials, including the president.
A U.S. Air Force representative emphasized that Air Force One remains safe and fully equipped for the president's needs. "No risk was taken in security, safety or mission communications, but the collective team made trades on some of the less commonly used mission sets that Boeing must deliver to support the next 40 years," the official said.
The episode underscores the persistent threats facing Trump, a theme his administration has used to justify expanded security measures. Critics, however, have questioned whether such threats are being overstated to bolster the president's image. As Trump's policies on immigration and national security continue to draw scrutiny, this latest revelation adds to the debate over how the administration handles potential dangers.
The use of a catering truck is a reminder of the lengths security teams will go to protect a sitting president, even if it means unconventional methods. The White House has not disclosed further details about the threat or the intelligence behind it.
