Trump confirms secret plane switch after NATO summit amid security threat

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that he switched aircraft after the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, following directives from the U.S. Secret Service and military officials over a potential security threat.

The covert maneuver last month came a day after the United States resumed military strikes on Iran following a breakdown in negotiations between Washington and Tehran to end the conflict.

“I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday. “I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think that they would be more likely to go for.”

As reported by The Washington Post, Trump arrived in Turkey aboard a newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar but announced that he would depart aboard the older Air Force One “for old time’s sake.”

After publicly boarding the older, baby-blue Air Force One in full view of cameras, Trump was secretly transferred from the aircraft using an elevated airport catering truck. 

He was then taken to a smaller C-32A military aircraft, a modified Boeing 757 often used by the vice president.

Footage from July 8 showed Trump boarding the presidential jet at Ankara airport before secretly exiting Air Force One onto the catering truck, which had been raised to the aircraft’s level on the opposite side of the plane.

Trump later downplayed the specifics of the threat, saying he had not asked many questions about it because he regularly receives threats.

During a visit aboard Air Force One to an event in Ohio on Tuesday, he added, “I have a lot of threats that you don’t know about.”

The unusual transfer drew widespread attention online, with social media users creating memes portraying Trump as hiding in the catering truck.

Trump said he was simply following the instructions of the Secret Service and military officials.

“Well, it’s only up to Secret Service. I just follow what they’d like to do, so I go by Secret Service and the military,” Trump said.