President Donald Trump (R-FL) was moved from Air Force One to a smaller decoy aircraft in Turkey after the Secret Service identified an Iranian missile threat.
The security maneuver highlights the volatility of current tensions between the U.S. and Iran, as well as the extreme measures taken to protect the presidency during international summits.
The incident occurred in early July [1], approximately one month before the details became public [1]. The swap took place in Turkey following a NATO summit held in the country [2, 3]. A U.S. Secret Service spokesperson said the agency had identified a specific threat from Iran that necessitated moving the president to a different aircraft [4].
While the president was transferred to the smaller plane, some senior officials and journalists remained on the original Air Force One flight [2, 3]. Those on the original aircraft included reporters and high-ranking figures such as Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ben Sasse (R-NE) [2, 3]. Reports indicate that this arrangement placed the aides and press corps at a higher risk while the president was sequestered on the decoy flight [2, 3].
Trump discussed the event during a recent interview, stating that he followed the instructions of his security detail. "I just have to do what they say," Trump said [5].
Despite the Secret Service's precautions, Trump later suggested the move may have been counterintuitive. He said the smaller plane he flew on while returning from the NATO summit in Turkey was at greater risk [6].
Conflicting reports emerged regarding the exact method of the evacuation. While some sources describe the transfer as a move between aircraft, one report suggested the president used a catering truck to escape the country [4]. Most reports, including those from CBS News and the New York Times, maintain that the president was moved to a second, smaller decoy aircraft [2, 3].
“"I just have to do what they say."”
The use of a decoy aircraft during a high-profile diplomatic mission underscores the heightened security posture of the U.S. government in response to Iranian aggression. By separating the president from his entourage and the press, the Secret Service aimed to minimize the target profile of the primary aircraft, though the move created a disparity in risk for the officials and journalists who remained on the original flight.
