US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he took a secret military flight from Turkey last month in an operation that involved him being moved between aircraft in a catering truck. Earlier on Monday, the Washington Post was the first to report the extraordinary deception prompted by an Iranian assassination threat.
"I go by the Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane... I do what they say...,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday (local time) before boarding Air Force One.
“I guess there was a threat out there. I didn't really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats,” he added.
Some White House staff were also not aware of the secret switch
The White House said at the time that the president was flying aboard Air Force One from Turkey, where he had attended a NATO summit, to Britain. But moments after Trump had boarded the plane, he left it in secret via the catering truck and boarded another aircraft for the flight to Britain, the Post said on Monday, quoting unnamed sources.
The New York Times carried a similar report, quoting unnamed US officials. Trump had taken a newly renovated Qatari-donated jet to Ankara for the NATO summit but unexpectedly announced he would use an older Air Force One when departing the country, a move that prompted questions about the newer plane's security.
The trip to NATO was the first international travel for the new plane, whose speedy upgrades triggered questions over its cost and security, and took place as hostilities escalated with Iran, which borders Turkey.
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After Trump boarded the old Air Force One in front of cameras in Ankara, he was secretly shuttled by the airport catering truck to a smaller plane, an Air Force C-32A, the Post reported, citing a US official familiar with the operation and corroborating material it reviewed.
Journalists were asked to keep their window shades closed in the press cabin
The journalists who thought they were travelling with Trump on the older Air Force One, which was effectively used as a decoy, reported being advised to keep their window shades in the press cabin closed. The Post said aside from reporters, some White House staff also believed that the president was on board. When asked later by reporters why they had to keep their shades shut during the flight, Trump said it was because they were "probably on a dangerous flight." He went on to say: But if I go, you go. Right?
(With inputs from Reuters)
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