Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe CIA proceeded with an elaborate deception operation to protect President Donald Trump during his departure from Turkey, despite having low confidence in an Israeli tip-off regarding an Iranian threat. Trump was secretly smuggled onto a backup Air Force C-32A aircraft using a hydraulic catering truck in Ankara, while journalists and officials travelled on Air Force One. The aircraft made a refuelling stop at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, where Trump re-boarded Air Force One away from reporters before continuing his journey. Secret Service officials justified the decoy plan by citing an unprecedented threat level and multiple previous assassination attempts against the president. Trump confirmed that he followed Secret Service instructions, saying that he complies with their recommended security measures. In fullCIA ‘had low confidence’ in Trump assassination threat that sparked secret Air Force One swapMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

The president was quietly whisked away and flown on board the smaller Boeing C-32A instead of the larger jet that usually serves as Air Force One.

Donald Trump let the press pool and some of his staff think he was on Air Force One, while really he had been smuggled in a catering cart onto a different plane.