U.S. President Donald Trump secretly switched from the old Air Force One to a C-32A military aircraft while departing Turkey after the NATO summit due to a real threat of assassination by Iran. Reuters reports this, citing The Washington Post and The New York Times, writes UNN.
Details
The White House initially said that Trump would leave Turkey aboard the old Air Force One. However, after the president boarded the aircraft in front of cameras in Ankara, he was discreetly transported to another plane in an airport catering truck.
The old Air Force One was effectively being used as a decoy at that time. Journalists and some White House staff members remained on board, believing that the president was flying with them. They were advised to keep the curtains in the press cabin closed.
Secret operation due to threat to Trump
According to The Washington Post, the decision to secretly change aircraft was made because of a real threat to Trump. After the switch, the C-32A transported the president to the United Kingdom.
Trump arrived in Turkey on a recently refurbished aircraft donated by Qatar. It was the aircraft's first international trip after the modernization, which sparked discussions about its cost and security.
A similar security measure had been used before. In 2000, President Bill Clinton used an unmarked aircraft during a trip to Pakistan, while his Air Force One served as a decoy.
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