Trump secretly switched planes using catering truck due to Iran threat, reports say

Former President Donald Trump reportedly utilized an elaborate security maneuver last month, secretly switching planes in Turkey due to a credible assassination threat from Iran. After a NATO summit in Ankara on July 8, Trump publicly boarded the older Air Force One (VC-25A) for what appeared to be his departure. However, he was then discreetly transferred via a catering truck to a smaller Air Force C-32A aircraft to fly to Mildenhall Air Force Base in the UK.

The older Air Force One, carrying members of the press and some White House staff who were unaware of the switch, served as a decoy. This clandestine operation was reportedly triggered by intelligence indicating a plot to fire a missile at the president's plane. White House communications director Steven Cheung did not directly address the specifics but stated that "many enemies of America...have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats."

The Washington Post initially broke the story, with corroborating reports from The New York Times and CBS News. The incident highlights heightened security measures amidst ongoing tensions, with a former Secret Service agent describing the tactic as "unusual" but not entirely unprecedented for a U.S. president.