An Iranian assassination threat against Donald Trump in July prompted an operation in which he secretly flew from Turkey on an alternate military aircraft while the White House said he was aboard Air Force One.
Along the way, he left members of the White House staff and press corps as sitting ducks on AFO.
Breaking news: An Iranian assassination threat against President Trump prompted an operation in which he flew secretly from Turkey on an alternate military aircraft while the White House said he was aboard Air Force One, The Post has learned. https://t.co/pDhy28YEmK
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 10, 2026
Exclusive via the Washington Post (gift link):
The clandestine mission, which has not been reported previously, was carried out unbeknownst to journalists and some White House staff members who believed they were on the same plane as the president
The administration has claimed that Trump departed Turkey on July 8 on the former Air Force One. Trump announced on social media that he would use the “former Air Force One” rather than the plane that flew him there, a newer Boeing 747-8 gifted to the United States by Qatar.
The security of the Qatar-provided aircraft has been called into question, and Trump said last month after the trip that it would undergo additional upgrades.
In Ankara, Trump boarded the old Air Force One jumbo jet in view of television cameras. He was secretly shuttled minutes later to a smaller plane — an Air Force C-32A — via an airport catering truck typically used to load meals and other supplies preflight, according to the U.S. official and corroborating material reviewed by The Post.
That made Air Force One a “decoy” with media and some White House staff aboard, the official said.
The operation took place the day after U.S. forces renewed military strikes on Iran at Trump’s direction following a breakdown of negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
More from the New York Times (gift link) via Maggie Haberman and Eric Schmitt:
With huge hat-tip to WaPo for a massive scoop, and matching some of their reporting, @EricSchmittNYT and me on the Trump admin ruse to fly him out of Turkey with AF1 and the reporters on board as unwitting decoys https://t.co/w7M2pJJMoY
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 11, 2026
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