2 weeks ago

Trump secretly switched planes on Ankara return amid Iran threats

Trump secretly switched planes on Ankara return amid Iran threats
‘If I go, you go, right?’: Traveling on the presidential plane – without Trump · theprint.in

The president of the United States flies on special airplanes called Air Force One.

After a big meeting with world leaders in Turkey, President Trump surprised everyone by saying he would not fly home on the fancy new plane that Qatar had given to the country.

He said the plane would go ahead to an air base in England so soldiers and their families could look at it.

Reporters who were supposed to ride with him were told to close their window shades, which was very unusual.

Weeks later, people found out why: the president had secretly gotten off the plane using a catering truck and climbed onto a different government jet.

That happened because people were worried about his safety, since Iran has been trying to hurt President Trump for a long time and he kept talking about those threats.

When the reporters landed in England, the president made it look like he had been on their plane the whole time, but he had not.

President Trump said safety was not the reason for the change, but he admitted that Iran is a danger to him.

In the end, the flight to England was calm and uneventful, and no one was hurt.

Key facts

President
Donald Trump
Aircraft
New presidential plane gifted by Qatar to the administration last year; reported to lack certain safety features
Event
Return from the NATO Leaders' Summit in Ankara
Timing
Closing hours of the summit in July; final day July 8; covert operation revealed weeks later
Stopover
Mildenhall Air Force Base, England
Security concern
Iran's longstanding attempts to kill Trump
Covert maneuver
Left the aircraft via a catering truck and boarded a different government jet (a third plane)
Official explanation
Plane flown ahead so servicemembers could tour it; Trump said he would fly to Mildenhall on an older Air Force One, with 'virtually no deviation' from the flight path

Quotes

Donald Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump

“"But if I go, you go. Right?"”
theprint.in

Sources

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