Trump confirms he was secretly moved to a different plane in Turkey over security threat

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday confirmed that he was secretly switched to a different aircraft during a July trip to Turkey following a NATO summit, after Secret Service and military officials cited a security threat. The Washington Post first reported the episode, saying the move was prompted by a credible threat from Iran.

The incident remained undisclosed for weeks until the newspaper's report surfaced. Speaking to reporters after returning from an event in Ohio, Trump downplayed the unusual nature of the situation, saying he had little say in the decision. "I guess there was a threat out there. I didn't really ask too much about it," he said, adding that he receives threats frequently.

Many details remain unclear

According to the report, Trump left the aircraft by hiding inside an airport catering container in order to secretly board a smaller government plane, while the original Air Force One continued flying as a decoy. He reportedly flew from Turkey to the United Kingdom before quietly returning to the Qatari-gifted presidential jet.

Trump also dismissed concerns about the risk faced by those left aboard the original aircraft — White House officials, security and support staff, and journalists. "I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk," he said Tuesday, offering few further details. He insisted the episode had not unsettled him, saying, "I don't worry about anything, to be honest... Whatever it is."

The Qatari-gifted luxury jet Trump had used to arrive in Turkey reportedly lacks some of the missile detection and countermeasure systems found on older presidential aircraft, a gap that fueled speculation about the risks involved at the time.

While presidents have occasionally kept travel schedules secret for security reasons, observers note it is unprecedented for a president's location to be concealed both during and for weeks after such an event. This time, Trump was also separated from the rest of the traveling group, including the press pool typically tasked with independently covering the president's movements. The White House has not fully disclosed what occurred once the threat had passed.