The U.S. president confirmed he secretly switched to another aircraft last month due to unspecified security threats, dismissing criticism that his aides and journalists were put at risk.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday that he secretly disembarked from the presidential aircraft Air Force One after last month's trip to Turkey because the Secret Service and the military demanded he fly on a "different plane" due to a security threat. He defended the decision by claiming that the aircraft he ultimately flew on was at greater risk of attack.
"They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane, of equal security, but they wanted me to do it, so I did it. I do what they say," Trump told reporters on Tuesday after Air Force One landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, returning from Ohio. When asked about the reasons, the president added: "I guess there was a threat, I didn't ask much about it. I get many threats."
According to the Washington Post, which first reported the story on Monday, a complex deception operation was carried out after the NATO summit in Ankara. While journalists, White House staff, and other government officials on Air Force One believed the president was flying back to the U.S. with them, Trump secretly left the aircraft and transferred to another flight.
The operation was reportedly launched due to an Iranian assassination threat against Trump. The president declined to elaborate on the nature of the threat, nor did he explain why the military assessed it was safe for other passengers to fly on the regular presidential aircraft but not for him.
Facing criticism that his aides and journalists were exposed to danger on the aircraft presumed to be carrying the president, Trump offered a counterintuitive explanation. "I don't know, I think actually the plane I flew on was at greater risk," he stated. "I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think they would more likely attack."
"Well, that's just up to the Secret Service. I just follow what they want, so I go by the Secret Service and the military."
With these words, Trump summarized his role in the entire operation, leaving all responsibility to the agency tasked with his protection.
According to unofficial information relayed by the Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, Trump left Air Force One via a catering truck. The entire operation remained secret until Monday, when the Post published the story. At the time, the White House claimed the president was flying on Air Force One from Turkey to Britain.
An additional dimension to the story is the fact that Trump flew to the Ankara summit on a newly refurbished aircraft donated by Qatar. However, upon leaving the country, he unexpectedly announced he would use the older Air Force One, raising questions about the safety of the newer aircraft. The trip to Turkey was the first international journey for that new aircraft, whose accelerated upgrades had already prompted questions about cost and safety.
