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August 11, 2026 / 1:52 AM EDT
/ CBS News
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Shortly before Air Force One took off from Turkey at the end of last month's NATO summit, President Trump secretly slipped away from the presidential jet and was whisked to another plane with the help of an airport catering truck, according to a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the matter.The ruse was employed because the U.S. had learned of a threat from Iran and its allied proxies. U.S. intelligence had detected a credible plot to fire a missile at the plane Mr. Trump was on as he left the Turkish capital of Ankara, CBS News reported exclusively.The president had expressed awareness of the risks posed by the U.S.-Iran war, calling himself Iran's "number one target" during the NATO summit.The Washington Post was first to report on the secret plane-switching. Multiple Trump administration officials expressed frustration Monday night that highly classified tactics and procedures leaked into the public eye, potentially limiting future protective operations for U.S. presidents.Hours before the move, on July 8, Mr. Trump announced he would leave Ankara in the old Air Force One rather than a newer Qatari-donated jet that he had taken to the NATO summit. The president said he was switching planes "for old time's sake," and U.S. forces stationed at a U.K. refueling stop would be able to check out the new plane, but CBS News has reported that the Secret Service advised that he take the older plane for security reasons.Video footage captured by the press showed the president walking up the stairs of the old Air Force One and disappearing into the plane, with a catering truck visible on the other side of the jet. Several minutes later, the truck pulled away and drove off to another U.S. government plane, which the Post reported was an Air Force C-32A.
