Trump slid into catering truck, hid in it to leave Turkey amid Iran threat
US officials moved Donald Trump out of Turkey on a smaller military jet after a credible Iranian assassination threat emerged. The covert switch was so successful that even journalists and some of the White House staff remained oblivious of his real location in the extraordinary plan executed on July 8.
US President Donald Trump's departure from Turkey after the NATO Summit on the older Air Force One jet and not the newly renovated Boeing donated by Qatar had raised eyebrows. Now, The Washington Post has reported that the 80-year-old was secretly flown out of Turkey on a military aircraft after a credible Iranian assassination threat, with the Air Force One used as a decoy.
While Trump was seen in full media view boarding Air Force One in Ankara, he was later shifted to a smaller C-32A military jet after being transported across the airport in a catering truck. The covert plane switch was designed to conceal the US President's actual location for hours, with journalists and even some White House staff remaining aboard the larger jet believing the President was travelling with them.
Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard the newly renovated Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar. The C-32A and the decoy Air Force One later arrived in the transit stop, Britain, minutes apart, with Trump appearing publicly to have travelled aboard the latter, The Post report added.
WHAT LIES BENEATH
Trump's departure from Turkey initially appeared completely routine. Television cameras captured him arriving at the airport in a limousine, walking up the stairs of the familiar blue-and-white Boeing 747 that had served as Air Force One and waving goodbye. Prior to that, the White House had said that the US President would leave Turkey aboard the former Air Force One. In fact, the 80-year-old himself had announced that he would use the older aircraft rather than the newer Boeing 747-8 that had flown him into Turkey.
The Republican had even presented the decision as a symbolic one, saying he would take the former Air Force One "for old time's sake" and giving US troops in Britain an opportunity to see the aircraft.
But that was not what happened.
According to the Post, the new Qatar-provided Air Force One had already departed Turkey earlier in the evening of July 8.
THE COVERT JET SWAP
The extraordinary plane switch involved an airport catering truck typically used to load meals and other supplies onto an aircraft before departure. After the US President and several of his aides boarded Air Force One, the truck was positioned on the opposite side of the aircraft. Its container was raised hydraulically to the level of a plane door, allowing the 80-year-old and his aides to leave without being seen by people on the other side of the aircraft.
Media footage, reviewed by The Post, showed the truck driving across the airport tarmac to a nearby C-32A, a modified Boeing 757 used to transport senior US government officials. It was briefly out of view as cameras focused elsewhere on the tarmac. A person in a suit was subsequently seen leaving the vehicle's cab and climbing the stairs onto the C-32A.
The smaller jet was sent to Turkey along with the two larger Boeing 747s as part of the presidential travel operation. The aircraft is typically meant to be used for transporting the President or Vice President, although it is more commonly associated with the Air Force Two call sign when carrying the Vice President.
A TACTIC USED BEFORE
Using one aircraft as a decoy while secretly moving a president onto another plane is unusual but not without precedent.
According to The Washington Post, the deception differed from the secrecy used after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when the George W Bush administration initially withheld the President's location but did not publicly claim he was somewhere he was not.
The Post reported that a similar tactic was used during President Bill Clinton's 2000 visit to Pakistan. Television cameras recorded him disembarking from a plain white jet that had followed Air Force One, revealing only afterwards that he had not travelled on the more visible presidential aircraft.
A former US official also told The Post that there have been other instances over the past three decades in which Air Force One was used as a decoy because of a serious security threat or because a President was travelling to a dangerous location.
SECURITY CONCERNS OVER QATAR'S GIFT
The scrutiny of the newer Boeing 747-8 gifted to the US by Qatar for use as Air Force One has been brewing lately. The aircraft has faced questions over its security capabilities, with The Post reporting that it lacks some of the defensive countermeasures found on the legacy Air Force One.
Trump said last month that the newer aircraft would undergo additional upgrades. The plane had only recently entered service after extensive work costing hundreds of millions of dollars.
The White House, however, defended the security of the Qatar-provided aircraft after being presented with The Post's findings. Communications Director Steven Cheung said the new Air Force One is equipped with "high-level security protocols" designed to protect the US President and his staff. He also pointed to the broader threats facing Trump and said the administration uses every available measure to protect him.
US President Donald Trump's departure from Turkey after the NATO Summit on the older Air Force One jet and not the newly renovated Boeing donated by Qatar had raised eyebrows. Now, The Washington Post has reported that the 80-year-old was secretly flown out of Turkey on a military aircraft after a credible Iranian assassination threat, with the Air Force One used as a decoy.
While Trump was seen in full media view boarding Air Force One in Ankara, he was later shifted to a smaller C-32A military jet after being transported across the airport in a catering truck. The covert plane switch was designed to conceal the US President's actual location for hours, with journalists and even some White House staff remaining aboard the larger jet believing the President was travelling with them.
Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard the newly renovated Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar. The C-32A and the decoy Air Force One later arrived in the transit stop, Britain, minutes apart, with Trump appearing publicly to have travelled aboard the latter, The Post report added.
WHAT LIES BENEATH
Trump's departure from Turkey initially appeared completely routine. Television cameras captured him arriving at the airport in a limousine, walking up the stairs of the familiar blue-and-white Boeing 747 that had served as Air Force One and waving goodbye. Prior to that, the White House had said that the US President would leave Turkey aboard the former Air Force One. In fact, the 80-year-old himself had announced that he would use the older aircraft rather than the newer Boeing 747-8 that had flown him into Turkey.
The Republican had even presented the decision as a symbolic one, saying he would take the former Air Force One "for old time's sake" and giving US troops in Britain an opportunity to see the aircraft.
But that was not what happened.
According to the Post, the new Qatar-provided Air Force One had already departed Turkey earlier in the evening of July 8.
THE COVERT JET SWAP
The extraordinary plane switch involved an airport catering truck typically used to load meals and other supplies onto an aircraft before departure. After the US President and several of his aides boarded Air Force One, the truck was positioned on the opposite side of the aircraft. Its container was raised hydraulically to the level of a plane door, allowing the 80-year-old and his aides to leave without being seen by people on the other side of the aircraft.
Media footage, reviewed by The Post, showed the truck driving across the airport tarmac to a nearby C-32A, a modified Boeing 757 used to transport senior US government officials. It was briefly out of view as cameras focused elsewhere on the tarmac. A person in a suit was subsequently seen leaving the vehicle's cab and climbing the stairs onto the C-32A.
The smaller jet was sent to Turkey along with the two larger Boeing 747s as part of the presidential travel operation. The aircraft is typically meant to be used for transporting the President or Vice President, although it is more commonly associated with the Air Force Two call sign when carrying the Vice President.
A TACTIC USED BEFORE
Using one aircraft as a decoy while secretly moving a president onto another plane is unusual but not without precedent.
According to The Washington Post, the deception differed from the secrecy used after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when the George W Bush administration initially withheld the President's location but did not publicly claim he was somewhere he was not.
The Post reported that a similar tactic was used during President Bill Clinton's 2000 visit to Pakistan. Television cameras recorded him disembarking from a plain white jet that had followed Air Force One, revealing only afterwards that he had not travelled on the more visible presidential aircraft.
A former US official also told The Post that there have been other instances over the past three decades in which Air Force One was used as a decoy because of a serious security threat or because a President was travelling to a dangerous location.
SECURITY CONCERNS OVER QATAR'S GIFT
The scrutiny of the newer Boeing 747-8 gifted to the US by Qatar for use as Air Force One has been brewing lately. The aircraft has faced questions over its security capabilities, with The Post reporting that it lacks some of the defensive countermeasures found on the legacy Air Force One.
Trump said last month that the newer aircraft would undergo additional upgrades. The plane had only recently entered service after extensive work costing hundreds of millions of dollars.
The White House, however, defended the security of the Qatar-provided aircraft after being presented with The Post's findings. Communications Director Steven Cheung said the new Air Force One is equipped with "high-level security protocols" designed to protect the US President and his staff. He also pointed to the broader threats facing Trump and said the administration uses every available measure to protect him.
US President Donald Trump's departure from Turkey after the NATO Summit on the older Air Force One jet and not the newly renovated Boeing donated by Qatar had raised eyebrows. Now, The Washington Post has reported that the 80-year-old was secretly flown out of Turkey on a military aircraft after a credible Iranian assassination threat, with the Air Force One used as a decoy.
While Trump was seen in full media view boarding Air Force One in Ankara, he was later shifted to a smaller C-32A military jet after being transported across the airport in a catering truck. The covert plane switch was designed to conceal the US President's actual location for hours, with journalists and even some White House staff remaining aboard the larger jet believing the President was travelling with them.
Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard the newly renovated Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar. The C-32A and the decoy Air Force One later arrived in the transit stop, Britain, minutes apart, with Trump appearing publicly to have travelled aboard the latter, The Post report added.
WHAT LIES BENEATH
Trump's departure from Turkey initially appeared completely routine. Television cameras captured him arriving at the airport in a limousine, walking up the stairs of the familiar blue-and-white Boeing 747 that had served as Air Force One and waving goodbye. Prior to that, the White House had said that the US President would leave Turkey aboard the former Air Force One. In fact, the 80-year-old himself had announced that he would use the older aircraft rather than the newer Boeing 747-8 that had flown him into Turkey.
The Republican had even presented the decision as a symbolic one, saying he would take the former Air Force One "for old time's sake" and giving US troops in Britain an opportunity to see the aircraft.
But that was not what happened.
According to the Post, the new Qatar-provided Air Force One had already departed Turkey earlier in the evening of July 8.
THE COVERT JET SWAP
The extraordinary plane switch involved an airport catering truck typically used to load meals and other supplies onto an aircraft before departure. After the US President and several of his aides boarded Air Force One, the truck was positioned on the opposite side of the aircraft. Its container was raised hydraulically to the level of a plane door, allowing the 80-year-old and his aides to leave without being seen by people on the other side of the aircraft.
Media footage, reviewed by The Post, showed the truck driving across the airport tarmac to a nearby C-32A, a modified Boeing 757 used to transport senior US government officials. It was briefly out of view as cameras focused elsewhere on the tarmac. A person in a suit was subsequently seen leaving the vehicle's cab and climbing the stairs onto the C-32A.
The smaller jet was sent to Turkey along with the two larger Boeing 747s as part of the presidential travel operation. The aircraft is typically meant to be used for transporting the President or Vice President, although it is more commonly associated with the Air Force Two call sign when carrying the Vice President.
A TACTIC USED BEFORE
Using one aircraft as a decoy while secretly moving a president onto another plane is unusual but not without precedent.
According to The Washington Post, the deception differed from the secrecy used after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when the George W Bush administration initially withheld the President's location but did not publicly claim he was somewhere he was not.
The Post reported that a similar tactic was used during President Bill Clinton's 2000 visit to Pakistan. Television cameras recorded him disembarking from a plain white jet that had followed Air Force One, revealing only afterwards that he had not travelled on the more visible presidential aircraft.
A former US official also told The Post that there have been other instances over the past three decades in which Air Force One was used as a decoy because of a serious security threat or because a President was travelling to a dangerous location.
SECURITY CONCERNS OVER QATAR'S GIFT
The scrutiny of the newer Boeing 747-8 gifted to the US by Qatar for use as Air Force One has been brewing lately. The aircraft has faced questions over its security capabilities, with The Post reporting that it lacks some of the defensive countermeasures found on the legacy Air Force One.
Trump said last month that the newer aircraft would undergo additional upgrades. The plane had only recently entered service after extensive work costing hundreds of millions of dollars.
The White House, however, defended the security of the Qatar-provided aircraft after being presented with The Post's findings. Communications Director Steven Cheung said the new Air Force One is equipped with "high-level security protocols" designed to protect the US President and his staff. He also pointed to the broader threats facing Trump and said the administration uses every available measure to protect him.
