A reported Iranian threat prompted President Donald Trump to depart the NATO summit in Turkey last month by boarding an older Air Force One aircraft instead of his newer Boeing 747-8. However, two cabinet secretaries and a group of journalists who were traveling with him remained aboard the decoy plane.
According to officials familiar with the operation, Trump boarded the former Air Force One in Ankara under television cameras before being secretly transferred minutes later to an Air Force C-32A aircraft via an airport catering truck typically used for preflight meal deliveries. The move left cabinet secretaries and journalists on the older plane.
Trump stated he chose the “former Air Force One” for “old time’s sake,” emphasizing his desire to honor the military by having them tour the new aircraft. He also claimed the military and Secret Service had urged him to fly on a different aircraft due to perceived risks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were aware of the secret transfer but remained aboard the decoy plane with journalists who did not know the president had departed. White House aides Natalie Harp, Walt Nauta, and Dan Scavino were also among those on the decoy flight.
Trump stated he believed the plane he used was at greater risk than the one carrying the press. He further claimed to face a “threat all the time” against his life and being “number one” on Iran’s list. Video footage captured Trump walking up the stairs of the old Air Force One in Ankara before disappearing into the plane, with a catering truck visible on the other side.