President Donald Trump secretly left the NATO summit in Turkey in July by boarding a smaller U.S. military aircraft using an airport catering truck as cover. This maneuver was reportedly designed to evade a credible Iranian threat against him, according to The Washington Post, which cited an official and other reviewed materials.

Trump had arrived in Ankara on July 8 aboard a brand-new Boeing 747-8, donated by Qatar. However, for his departure, he used an older, legacy blue-and-white Boeing 747 — the previous Air Force One — as a decoy. He was seen walking up the stairs of this legacy aircraft and waving to cameras before entering the cabin. Later, at about 10:56 p.m., he appeared before TV cameras and descended the external stairs of the legacy plane, according to a media pool report.

Following this, Trump boarded a third, smaller U.S. military plane, concealed by the catering truck, to safely leave the airport.

When Fox News sought comment on the report, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung described the new Air Force One as 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." He added that the aircraft is "safe, secure and equipped with the most advanced technologies necessary to meet the requirements of the presidential mission."

President Trump has acknowledged that he is "No. 1 on the kill list for Iran" and emphasized the use of every available tool to address threats against him. "You're probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleaze bags that we have to deal with," he remarked during a NATO news conference.

Sources