U.S. President Donald Trump evaded an assassination risk from Iran last month when he returned from Turkey by using a secret operation that involved using the presidential jet “Air Force One” as a fake target while he quietly entered a military transport vehicle and then moved to a different military aircraft. While it was already known that Trump switched planes because of security issues, this is the first time it has been disclosed that he actually left the plane that was publicly boarded and relocated to another aircraft.
The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 10th, referencing U.S. government sources and related documents, that a “deception operation” took place on July 8 in Ankara, Turkey, where Trump was participating in a NATO summit. The operation was launched following U.S. intelligence identifying a genuine and detailed Iranian threat aimed at either Trump or Air Force One, as the U.S. had resumed military strikes against Iran the day before.
Trump first arrived in Turkey on a new Boeing 747-8 supplied by Qatar. However, when he left, he waved from the current blue-and-white Air Force One, as journalists observed. This segment of the event was recorded publicly by the media at that time.
Shortly after boarding, Trump and several advisors proceeded to the other side of the plane. There, a catering truck’s lift mechanism—designed for delivering in-flight meals and supplies—had been adjusted to match the aircraft’s door level. Trump and his group hid inside the truck and left the plane, subsequently boarding a nearby U.S. Air Force C-32A, a Boeing 757 customized for senior officials. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also joined this aircraft.
Meanwhile, the original Air Force One, from which Trump had already exited, was still being used by White House personnel and reporters, with many assuming the president was still on board, as reported by WP. White House staff also directed journalists to pull down the window shades while boarding.
The two planes flew to the U.K. separately. Interestingly, the fake Air Force One—without Trump—used the call sign “AF1” while in the air, which is typically used for aircraft transporting the president. Meanwhile, the C-32A that had Trump on board was not visible on public flight-tracking websites, hiding his whereabouts.
Trump, who was the first to arrive at the U.K.’s Mildenhall Air Base, reportedly returned to the original Air Force One. He then walked down the plane’s stairs in front of reporters around 10:56 p.m., giving the impression that he had been on that aircraft all along from Türkiye. The White House also shared on social media that Trump had arrived in the U.K. aboard the original Air Force One.
The WP pointed out that although U.S. presidents have previously utilized different aircraft or decoys in dangerous areas, this was the first time a non-presidential plane was openly operated as if transporting the president, with the White House later offering contradictory details about his real itinerary.
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