Trump Secretly Switched Planes Over Iran Missile Threat
Trump Secretly Switched Planes Over Iran Missile Threat
The News
President Donald Trump was secretly moved off Air Force One and onto a different jet last month after a credible missile threat emerged during his trip to Turkey, officials say.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stayed aboard what was effectively a decoy flight out of the country, according to an official.
The switch came amid heightened tensions with Iran and concerns about a possible assassination attempt.
Timeline
The threat surfaced on the final day of Trump's visit to Ankara for the NATO summit in July.
The Secret Service moved Trump onto a smaller C-32A aircraft, with reports saying he was taken to the plane via a catering truck.
Rubio and Bessent departed on the original Air Force One as a decoy.
Reactions
Some U.S. intelligence officials were skeptical of the Iranian threat that prompted the switch, according to reporting.
A New York Times photographer, Douglas Mills, who was aboard Air Force One with the press corps, said he noticed suspicious details around the swap.
Coverage of the episode split sharply, with right-leaning outlets defending the Secret Service's call and others questioning the account.
What's Next
Questions remain over how credible the threat was and why the switch was kept quiet until now. Expect further scrutiny of the intelligence behind the decision.
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