Washington: Facing a threat to his life, US president Donald Trump reportedly used an airport catering cart to secretly board a military aircraft in Turkey last month.
This deception operation was conducted after a credible threat to his life linked to Iran. This happened when Trump was returning from Ankara after attending a NATO summit, as reported by WION.
Trump was initially seen boarding the former Air Force One in front of television cameras before being secretly moved minutes later to a smaller US Air Force C-32A aircraft, a report by The Washington Post has claimed.
It has quoted an US official familiar with the operation as saying that the US president was transported to the smaller aircraft in an airport catering truck normally used to carry meals and other supplies to planes.
A US official also confirmed the operation to The New York Times.
Trump’s actual location was concealed from journalists and some White House staff members travelling with him, the reports said. The deception was reportedly triggered by a credible threat involving Iran, which borders Turkey.
Trump left Turkey on July 8 aboard the former Air Force One, the administration had formerly said. Trump had also announced on Truth Social that he would use the older Boeing 747 for the journey to the UK instead of the newer aircraft that had taken him to the Nato summit. The older aircraft, known for its distinctive baby-blue colour, was used as a decoy while Trump’s actual flight was the C-32A, according to the reports.
The US president’s trip to the Nato summit marked the first international journey by the new Boeing 747-8 aircraft gifted to the US by Qatar. The plane’s planned use had raised questions over security and the cost of its upgrades, particularly as tensions with Iran were escalating.
Trump has said he would take the former Air Force One to RAF Mildenhall in Britain “for old time’s sake” before departing Ankara. The Qatar-donated aircraft was also scheduled to stop at the base, allowing US service members stationed there to tour it.
Journalists who believed they were travelling with Trump aboard the older Air Force One were reportedly instructed to keep the window shades in the press cabin closed. The Washington Post said some White House staff members were also unaware that Trump was no longer on the aircraft.
When reporters later asked Trump why they had been told to keep the shades closed, he replied that they were “probably on a dangerous flight”. He then added: “But if I go, you go. Right?”
