According to reporting from The Washington Post, President Trump was secretly transported from Turkey using an airport catering truck to avoid an Iranian assassination threat. The covert operation occurred the night after the president ordered military strikes on Iran following failed diplomatic negotiations between the two nations.
Trump had announced plans to fly on a legacy Boeing 747 aircraft for a NATO summit visit to Ankara, but after being seen boarding the plane by television cameras, he instead slipped into a catering vehicle and was transferred to a smaller Air Force C-32A jet. The older Air Force One, carrying journalists and White House staff members unaware of the switch, served as a decoy for the actual presidential flight to the United Kingdom.
During the flight, media personnel and staff were instructed to close window shades. When questioned about the directive after landing, Trump attributed the precaution to security concerns, telling reporters aboard the aircraft that threats against his life occur regularly. The Secret Service had previously recommended Trump use the legacy Air Force One instead of a Qatari-provided jet due to escalating tensions with Iran and reported security vulnerabilities in the gifted aircraft.
White House communications officials stated that every available security measure is employed to protect the president and his staff against hostile actors.
Originally reported by Rollingstone →
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