Trump jokes about being Iran's top target, switches Air Force One

President Donald Trump responded with characteristic humor to questions about potential security threats from Iran, joking that he was "number one on their list" before a journalist. The remark came as Trump shifted his travel plans, opting to fly on the older Air Force One instead of the new presidential aircraft.

During an informal conversation aboard the presidential aircraft, Trump addressed a reporter's query about whether he had changed planes due to security concerns. "I am number one on their list before you. But I go, you go. Maybe someday you want to change professions," Trump quipped, without offering specific details about any credible threats against the aircraft.

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I am number one on their list before you. But I go, you go. Maybe someday you want to change professions.

Trump's decision to use the older Air Force One followed his participation in the NATO summit in Turkey. This move raised questions, particularly as tensions with Iran, a neighbor of Turkey, had intensified. The new presidential plane, a Boeing 747-200B, was donated by Qatar last year and replaced the aircraft used by U.S. presidents since the 1990s.

The new aircraft has been a subject of controversy in Washington, with concerns raised about the high cost of adapting it to presidential security standards, its reliability, and potential conflicts of interest linked to Qatar. Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he would fly the older plane "for nostalgia," while the new aircraft would stop at RAF Mildenhall in the UK for U.S. soldiers to see. He also stated his intention to keep the new plane after his term ends, displaying it at his future presidential library in Miami.

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I am number one on their list before you. But I go, you go. Maybe someday you want to change professions.