Close aides joined Trump on secret flight from Turkey, while cabinet members on decoy plane

Former President Trump reportedly departed Turkey on a secret military flight in July 2026, a move prompted by intelligence concerning a credible Iranian assassination threat. After a NATO summit in Ankara, Trump publicly boarded an older Air Force One aircraft before being covertly transferred with several close aides to a smaller Air Force C-32A plane via an airport catering truck. This clandestine operation left many cabinet members and the White House press corps unknowingly traveling on the publicly identified Air Force One, which served as a decoy.

The elaborate ruse was executed to conceal the former president's actual whereabouts, with the decoy plane carrying journalists and some staff who were unaware of Trump's true departure method or the security threat. Trump himself later confirmed the plane swap, stating it was a decision made by the Secret Service and the military due to the threats he regularly faces.

The secret flight, which flew to Britain, was kept under wraps for weeks until reports by outlets like The Washington Post brought the details to light. The incident has since drawn scrutiny, with some questioning the ethics of placing staff and media on a potentially threatened decoy aircraft without their knowledge.