Trump Used Catering Truck Ruse to Secretly Leave Turkey

President Donald Trump was secretly transferred between aircraft in Ankara last month as part of an elaborate operation to conceal his location amid security concerns tied to the war with Iran, a U.S. official with knowledge of the plan confirmed to NBC News.

The Washington Post first reported details of the clandestine maneuver, which involved using an airport catering truck to move Trump onto a C-32 military aircraft that flew from Ankara to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. Trump then secretly deplaned the C-32 and reboarded the older Air Force One jet, emerging in public view before walking to the newer, Qatari-donated jet — which lacks certain security features and will undergo further retrofitting.

White House communications director Steven Cheung did not dispute the Post's account, saying only that "the new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols." He added that "there are many enemies of America who have their sights on" Trump.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the Senate should be "immediately briefed" on the Iranian threats and the operation, calling it "unacceptable that Congress was kept in the dark." Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., described the undisclosed travel as "downright scary" and said he wants to know what precautions were taken to protect staff and reporters aboard the plane "judged too dangerous for the president to fly on."

Trump had publicly said on July 8 he would take the "former Air Force One" from Turkey "for old time's sake," while the new jet traveled separately so troops could see it. Reporters traveling with him were told to lower their window shades during the flight. Asked about it later, Trump said, "You're probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags that we have to deal with," and said he is "No. 1" on Iran's target list. He denied any security issues prompted the switch.

Previous presidents have used decoy tactics, including George W. Bush's move to an "undisclosed location" after 9/11 and Bill Clinton's unmarked plane arrival in Pakistan in 2000, though those were later disclosed.