Trump confirms planes switch after NATO summit

President Donald Trump confirmed he secretly switched aircraft after a NATO summit in Turkey last month, citing a credible Iranian threat. The president revealed that the Secret Service and military advised him to use a different plane due to security concerns. Reports indicate that US intelligence detected a potential Iranian missile threat aimed at the presidential jet. The revelation follows accounts of Trump boarding Air Force One publicly before being hidden in a catering truck to be transported to a military aircraft. Trump stated that the alternative jet might have been at greater risk, as it would have been the more likely target. Officials informed CBS News that a threat to fire a missile at the plane was detected. The New York Times reported that US intelligence had information about an individual near the summit carrying a shoulder-fired missile. Journalists and some White House staff on board the decoy plane were reportedly unaware of the president's clandestine departure. Trump has previously asserted he was Iran's "number one target" during the summit in Ankara. He commented that he receives many threats, some of which are not publicly known. This covert operation occurred a day after the US renewed military strikes on Iran amid stalled negotiations. Trump had arrived in Turkey on a newer Boeing 747-8 but stated he would depart on the older Air Force One "for old time's sake." Footage showed him boarding the presidential jet at Ankara airport, but he reportedly slipped onto a catering truck on the opposite side of the plane and was taken to a smaller C-32A military aircraft. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded the C-32A separately using external stairs to maintain the appearance of a normal flight.

“

I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go in a different flight, different plane. I just have to do what they say.