WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — President Donald Trump secretly left Turkey on a separate U.S. government plane last month while the publicly identified Air Force One carried members of his staff and the press, according to sources familiar with the trip.
The unusual move came during Trump’s return from the NATO summit. Officials took the step after security concerns emerged, sources said. The president later confirmed that the military and Secret Service advised him to use another aircraft because of a threat.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent knew about the secret flight. They stayed on the decoy aircraft to maintain the presidential line of succession. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled with Trump on a separate plane.
White House aides Natalie Harp, Walt Nauta, and Dan Scavino also joined Trump. Other senior aides remained on the publicly identified Air Force One.
The switch happened in Ankara, Turkey. On July 8, Trump said he would leave Ankara on the older Air Force One instead of the newer plane donated by Qatar.
Trump said he made the change “for old times’ sake.” However, CBS News later reported that the Secret Service had advised Trump to use the older aircraft for security reasons.
The president then moved from the publicly identified Air Force One to another plane with the help of a catering truck. The Washington Post later reported that the second aircraft was an Air Force C-32A.
Meanwhile, members of the press and several staffers remained on the aircraft identified as Air Force One. They believed Trump was traveling with them.
Video footage showed Trump walking toward the older Air Force One before disappearing from view. A catering truck then moved away from the aircraft and drove toward another U.S. government plane.
Trump later told CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes that the military and Secret Service made the decision. He said officials wanted him to travel on a different aircraft because of a threat.
Trump also said that he regularly receives threats. He argued that a president in a major position faces such risks.
When reporters asked why the press could travel on Air Force One if the plane posed a danger to him, Trump said the aircraft he used faced a greater risk.
Several other senior White House officials also stayed on that aircraft. They included Stephen Miller, Will Scharf, Steven Cheung, Mike Needham, Ross Worthington, and Monica Crowley.
Trump eventually switched back to the newer presidential aircraft at a refueling stop in the United Kingdom. The Qatari-donated Boeing 747 had undergone modifications for presidential use.
Trump then spoke with reporters during the flight to Washington, D.C. The White House has said the aircraft would receive additional security upgrades.
