US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he switched from Air Force One to another aircraft during a recent summit in Turkey after receiving a security warning. Trump said he follows the advice of the Secret Service and the military when it comes to such security-related decisions.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump said he followed the recommendations of his security team and military officials, who asked him to use another aircraft despite both planes offering a similar level of protection.
“It’s only up to the Secret Service. I just follow what they’d like to do. I go by the Secret Service and the military,”ย Trump said. “They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane, equal safety, but they wanted me to do it, so I did it,” he added.
Trump added that he believed there had been a threat against him, saying, “I get a lot of threats.”
How Trump averted threat in Turkey
According to a report by The Washington Post, the US Presidentย was secretly moved from an older Boeing 747-8 Air Force One aircraft to a smaller C-32A jet before departing for Britain. The report, citing an anonymous US official, said Trump was discreetly transferred inside a catering container that was moved from the larger aircraft to the smaller jet.
The reported operation was kept highly confidential. Journalists and some officials were reportedly led to believe that Trump remained aboard the larger Boeing 747. Reporters travelling on the aircraft from Ankara were also instructed to keep their window blinds closed, according to the report.
Trump had travelled to Ankara to attend a NATO summit. At the time, he had said he would use the older Boeing 747 to allow US military personnel at a British airbase to tour a newer aircraft gifted to the United States by Qatar.
Video shows the moment Trump switched planes
Several US media outlets reported that the aircraft switch was prompted by an alleged threat from Iranian proxy forces.
The Washington Post also released video footage showing a catering truck being unloaded from the older Boeing aircraft shortly after Trump had boarded. The vehicle was later seen approaching the smaller C-32A aircraft, reportedly as part of the operation to transfer the president.
Trump was later seen emerging from the larger aircraft after it landed in the United Kingdom, where both planes arrived. He was subsequently transferred to the retrofitted Air Force One gifted by Qatar. However, it remains unclear when and how Trump moved from the C-32A back to the larger aircraft.
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