August 11, 2026 | 12:27 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – US President Donald Trump secretly switched aircraft in Türkiye last month amid an alleged Iranian assassination threat, while the White House publicly maintained that he was traveling aboard Air Force One, The Washington Post reported Monday.
Trump was visiting Ankara for the NATO summit on July 7-8 when the alleged threat emerged. According to The Washington Post, he initially boarded an older Air Force One aircraft in view of television cameras before secretly transferring to a smaller Air Force C-32A using an airport catering truck.
The maneuver was reportedly intended to conceal Trump's location from the public, journalists and some White House staff. The three aircraft, including a new plane gifted by Qatar that is now intended for use as Air Force One, later flew separately to the United Kingdom.
The operation came a night after US forces renewed strikes on Iran following a breakdown in negotiations between Washington and Tehran, according to Anadolu Agency.
The unusual security measures were also reflected in presidential travel pool reports. Journalists were instructed to keep the window shades closed during the flight, while Trump's deplaning at RAF Mildenhall took place unusually quickly after reporters were positioned beneath the aircraft.
Trump later suggested the measure was linked to the security threat. Asked why reporters had been told to close the shades, he said, "you're probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags that we have to deal with." He also told reporters, "But if I go, you go. Right?"
Trump later boarded the Qatari-gifted plane and flew back to the United States.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the security measures, saying the new aircraft had been fitted with "high-level security protocols" to protect the president and his staff.
"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," Cheung said.
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