President Donald Trump late Tuesday confirmed reporting from the Washington Post, CNN and others that he secretly switched planes in Turkey last month because of a security threat.
“I guess there was a threat out there,” he told reporters. “I didn’t really ask too much about it.”
The president added of the Secret Service and military telling him to switch planes: “I just have to do what they say. They go for safety, and I have to do what they say.”
But the confirmation makes it clear that both Trump and the White House lied about the situation, even after the immediate danger had passed.
It’s one thing not to disclose the ruse in real time — though many would argue that allowing the reporters and administration staff that remained on Air Force One to effectively serve as unwitting decoys, while Trump flew on a smaller military jet, stretches the bounds of what’s acceptable to protect the president. But Trump and the White House went further than just lying to perpetuate a protective ruse. They also denied there was a security threat at all.
