Trump Confirms Secret Plane Switch in Turkey Amid Iran Missile Threat
FlatRigor 5160 sources
The Story
President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday that he was instructed to switch planes after reports detailed his secret move to a decoy aircraft during his departure from a NATO summit in Turkey in July. U.S. intelligence detected a credible threat from Iran, including information that Iran knew Trump's hotel floor in Ankara and that someone near the summit had a shoulder-fired missile. Secret Service and military advisors concluded a misdirection was necessary. Trump publicly boarded an older Air Force One, announcing he would fly on it for old time's sake. Minutes later, he was secretly smuggled out via a catering truck to a different Boeing C-32A military jet. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Natalie Harp, Walt Nauta, and Dan Scavino traveled with Trump on the C-32A. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, along with aides Stephen Miller, Will Scharf, Steven Cheung, Mike Needham, Ross Worthington, and Monica Crowley, traveled on the decoy Air Force One. The incident occurred on July 8, the final day of Trump's visit to Ankara for the NATO summit. The decoy Air Force One, carrying journalists and White House staff, was protected by U.S. fighter jets on its flight to the United Kingdom. Staff and press on the decoy plane were instructed to keep window shades closed. Israel reportedly provided the US administration with intelligence about the Iranian threat. Trump stated he believes the plane he flew on (the C-32A) was at greater risk, saying "I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think that they would be more likely to go for." He also said he does what the Secret Service and military tell him. Some White House officials and journalists were reportedly unaware Trump had disembarked the decoy Air Force One. White House correspondent S.V. Dáte wrote that journalists were made to be bait for a possible attack, a claim the official Trump administration account, Rapid Response 47, disputed. Conservative talk radio host Erick Erickson argued the Secret Service protects the President, not the press.
The Spread
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What they agree on
- President Donald Trump secretly switched planes in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, after a NATO summit, due to a credible threat from Iran.
- Trump was moved from an older Air Force One to a smaller C-32A military jet via a catering truck.
- The Air Force One that Trump initially boarded, carrying journalists and White House staff, served as a decoy flight.
- U.S. intelligence detected a threat involving a shoulder-fired missile and that Iran knew Trump's hotel floor in Ankara.
- Trump confirmed the plane switch on Tuesday, stating he followed instructions from the Secret Service and the military.
Where they split
- Some outlets, like Global News and The Daily Beast, emphasize Trump's personal statements about not being scared or his belief that his actual flight was at greater risk.
- The Daily Beast and RT (Russia Today) focus on the criticism that journalists and staff on the decoy plane were potentially endangered or used as "bait."
- Fox News highlights that the "decoy" Air Force One was protected by U.S. fighter jets, pushing back on fears for the safety of the press corps and staff.
- The Jerusalem Post reports that Israel provided the US administration with intelligence about the Iranian threat, a detail not present in all other coverage.
Source Perspectives
Left2 sources
Center53 sources