Trump faces security questions over Qatar-gifted Air Force One plane

President Donald Trump's use of an older jet instead of a new Air Force One plane, a gift from Qatar, has raised security questions. The billionaire president initially traveled to Ankara on the retrofitted Boeing 747-8 aircraft, but then announced it would be sent ahead to a British airbase for U.S. troops to tour.

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You’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with.

Reports from The New York Times and other U.S. media outlets suggested the new plane lacked the same security features as the older jet, such as anti-missile defenses. This switch, reportedly advised by the Secret Service, fueled speculation, especially given recent hostilities with Iran, which borders Turkey. Journalists on the older plane from Ankara were also instructed to keep their window blinds down, a measure typically reserved for war zones.

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The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff.

Trump himself denied any security concerns, but later referred to alleged Iranian assassination attempts after switching back to the new plane for his flight from the UK to Washington. "You're probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with," he stated.

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As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.

The White House defended the new aircraft, with Communications Director Steven Cheung asserting in a statement that it "has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff." Cheung also suggested that "distraction and misdirection" were among the tools used to address threats.

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distraction and misdirection