- Trump secretly left Turkey on a smaller C-32A aircraft after boarding Air Force One.
- The switch was made after an assassination threat linked to Iran.
- Journalists and some White House staff believed Trump was still on the larger aircraft.
- The White House defended the security arrangements on the Qatar-donated jet.
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump secretly flew out of Turkey on a smaller aircraft last month after an assassination threat from Iran, the Washington Post reported.
Trump was in Ankara on July 8 for a NATO summit and had arrived aboard a Boeing 747 gifted to the United States by Qatar. But before leaving Turkey, he said he would instead use an older Air Force One aircraft to fly to Britain.
The White House said at the time that Trump was travelling aboard the older Air Force One. However, according to the Washington Post, Trump boarded the aircraft in Ankara in front of cameras before secretly leaving it through a catering truck and being taken to a smaller Air Force C-32A aircraft.
The C-32A then flew Trump to Britain, while journalists and some White House staff were led to believe that he remained aboard the older Air Force One. The New York Times also reported on the switch, citing unnamed US officials.
The operation was prompted by a credible threat to Trump, the Washington Post reported. Several US media outlets had previously reported that a threat from Iranian proxy forces was behind the decision not to have Trump fly out of Turkey on the new Qatar-donated aircraft.
Trump had said on Truth Social before leaving Ankara that he would use the older baby blue Air Force One plane "for old time's sake" to RAF Mildenhall in Britain. He said the new aircraft would also stop at the base so US service members stationed there could tour it.
After Trump boarded the older Air Force One, he was moved through an airport catering container attached to the aircraft, according to the Washington Post. The container then took him to the C-32A.
Video reviewed by the Washington Post showed a catering truck lowering from the older Air Force One minutes after Trump walked up the stairs into the plane. The vehicle was then seen travelling towards the smaller C-32A.
Journalists travelling on the older Air Force One were advised to keep their window shades closed during the flight. The Washington Post reported that some White House staff also believed Trump was on board.
When reporters later asked Trump why they had been told to keep their shades shut, he said they were "probably on a dangerous flight." He added: “But if I go, you go. Right?"
The C-32A carrying Trump arrived in Britain at around 10:20 p.m., with the older Air Force One and the media arriving minutes later, the Washington Post reported. It was unclear how Trump was transferred from the C-32A back to the older Air Force One.
Trump's travelling press pool reported that he came down the stairs of the older Air Force One at 10:56 p.m. He gave the press a peace sign but did not walk over to speak to them. He then greeted service members before walking to the new Qatar-donated aircraft.
The plane switch also raised questions about the security features of the Qatar-donated aircraft. The New York Times reported that it did not have some of the security features of the older aircraft, including anti-missile defences.
The Boeing 747 was donated to the United States by Qatar last year after Trump complained about the two ageing Boeing 747 aircraft that had served as Air Force One since 1990. The aircraft was refitted by defence contractor L3Harris Technologies and was intended to serve as a temporary replacement while Boeing struggled to deliver delayed next-generation Air Force One aircraft.
The aircraft, with red, white, dark blue and gold livery chosen by Trump, was first used by him on July 1 for a trip to North Dakota. Its first overseas trip was to Turkey for the NATO summit.
When asked about the Washington Post report, the White House provided a statement from Communications Director Steven Cheung defending the aircraft's safety.
"The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff," Cheung said.
"As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats."
The same statement had been provided by the White House last month when questions about the aircraft's security first emerged.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(With inputs from agencies)
