US President Donald Trump secretly swapped planes while leaving a NATO summit in Turkey last month due to a possible Iranian threat, according to US media reports. The White House has not confirmed the switch, but officials told CBS News that there was a credible threat of an Iranian missile attack against Trump's plane. Trump boarded Air Force One in view of cameras before being transported to a smaller military aircraft via a catering truck, with journalists and some staff unaware of the change. The incident occurred on July 8, after the US renewed military strikes on Iran following a breakdown in negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
US President Donald Trump secretly swapped planes while leaving a NATO summit in Turkey last month, as part of an elaborate ruse prompted by a possible Iranian threat. Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard a newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, but announced that he would leave on the old Air Force One "for old time's sake". However, he was secretly taken to a smaller C-32 military plane via a catering truck, while journalists and some White House staff remained on Air Force One. The US had detected a credible Iranian threat to fire a missile at the plane, officials told CBS News. The covert movements have few precedents in modern history and have left lingering questions about the White House's decision not to disclose the change. Former CIA director John Brennan said the White House had an "ethical requirement" to tell reporters about the plane swap, but Trump has said he was acting on Secret Service advice.
Written for “Trump Plane Security Threats” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
- Published
Donald Trump secretly swapped planes as he left a Nato summit in Turkey last month, as part of an elaborate ruse in response to a possible Iranian threat, US media report.
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media → publish → threat
The US president boarded Air Force One in view of television cameras before being transported to a military aircraft with the help of a catering truck, the Washington Post said.
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Post → board → truck
Journalists and some White House staff on board did not know he had been smuggled out.
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he → know → board
Officials told the BBC's US partner CBS News that the US had detected a credible Iranian threat to fire a missile at the plane.
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US → tell → plane
The White House has not confirmed the secret switch.
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House → confirm → switch
Trump had earlier said he was Iran's "number one target" during the summit in Ankara.
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he → say → Ankara
The clandestine manoeuvre came a day after the US renewed military strikes on Iran following a breakdown of negotiations between Washington and Tehran to end the war.
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US → come → war
Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard a newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, but announced that he would leave on the old Air Force One "for old time's sake".
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he → arrive → sake
On 8 July, footage showed him boarding the presidential jet at Ankara airport.
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him → show → airport
But according to the Washington Post, he was then secretly taken to a smaller C-32A military aircraft - a modified Boeing 757 often used by the vice-president - via a catering truck which had been elevated to plane level on the opposite side to where he had boarded.
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he → accord → side
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded the C-32A separately using external stairs in an effort to make the flight appear normal, according to the newspaper.
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flight → board → newspaper
Journalists and some White House staff boarded Air Force One and were reportedly told to close their window shades.
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Journalists → board → shades
Trump then flew to the UK en route to the US, where he reboarded the old Air Force One and was seen descending from the aircraft after it landed at RAF Mildenhall.
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it → fly → Mildenhall
It is unclear how he moved from the C-32A back to the legacy jet.
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he → move → jet
The president then transferred to the new Qatari-donated Air Force One to travel back to Washington.
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president → transfer → Washington
During that flight, Trump spoke to reporters on board where he noted the threats posed by Iran but did not mention the earlier plane swap.
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he → speak → swap
Asked why reporters had been told to lower the window shades on the plane from Turkey, Trump said: "Because you're probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with."
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we → ask → sleazebags
He said he had a "threat all the time" on his life, and that he is "number one" on Iran's "list".
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he → say → list
"But if I go, you go, right?", he said, adding: "Perhaps someday you want to change professions."
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you → go → professions
White House communications director Steven Cheung did not directly confirm or deny the reports, but said the new Air Force One was a "state-of-the-art aircraft" fitted with security measures to protect the president and his staff.
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One → confirm → president
US intelligence had previously warned of a specific threat of an attack on Trump or his aircraft, according to earlier reporting by CBS News.
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intelligence → warn → News
The New York Times previously reported on security concerns regarding the Qatari-gifted jet, including that the Secret Service had urged Trump to switch planes on his return from the Nato summit.
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Service → report → summit
Several of the publication's journalists were summoned to testify under oath in response.
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Several → summon → response
The Justice Department subsequently told the BBC that it was investigating illegal leaks.
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it → tell → leaks
The US has spent months retrofitting the $400m Boeing 747-8 to prepare it for the president.
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US → spend → president
Older Air Force One planes have laser technology to blind incoming missiles, sources have told CBS News.
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sources → have → News
It is unclear what systems the Qatari jet has.
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jet → have → systems
"The new Air Force One is perfectly safe for the President's travels, but will receive additional upgrades and enhancements in the fall which will take approximately one month to complete," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to CBS News.
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Leavitt → receive → News
