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🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Elections & Politics

Trump's Air Force One deception faces scrutiny over 'decoy' passengers

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Democrats are demanding a congressional briefing over allegations that Donald Trump was secretly transported on a different aircraft than the public and press were led to believe.
  • Critics question the deception, which involved keeping over 100 aides and reporters on one plane while Trump was allegedly moved via a catering truck to another due to a credible threat from Iran.
  • Concerns have been raised about the safety of those left on the original plane and the ethics of misleading the press and public.

Democrats have called for a congressional briefing following reports that Donald Trump was secretly flown on a different aircraft than the one publicly identified, raising questions about a deliberate deception. The incident, which occurred after U.S. intelligence allegedly uncovered a credible threat of an Iranian plot to assassinate him, involved Trump being spirited away from Air Force One in a catering truck.

It appears that the idea was we can reduce the danger to President Trump by offering up 100 or so people to be killed by the Iranians in his place.

— Steven CashExecutive director of the Steady State and a former CIA intelligence officer and senior adviser to the Department of Homeland Security’s intelligence branch, commenting on the alleged deception.

While the president was reportedly moved discreetly, over 100 aides, officials, and reporters were kept on the original plane, unaware of the threat to their lives. Steven Cash, former CIA intelligence officer, expressed concern, stating, "It appears that the idea was we can reduce the danger to President Trump by offering up 100 or so people to be killed by the Iranians in his place."

Senator Richard Blumenthal described the operation as "unprecedented and surreal" and "downright scary," emphasizing the need for a congressional briefing not only for the president's safety but also for the security of all passengers on the aircraft deemed too dangerous for Trump. He questioned the precautions taken to protect the staff and reporters.

unprecedented and surreal

— Richard BlumenthalDemocratic senator for Connecticut, describing the operation on CNN.

The White House had publicly announced Trump would fly on Air Force One, an older version, to Britain. However, he boarded the presidential jet in view of cameras only to be transferred minutes later to an Air Force C-32A. Journalists traveling with him, and some staff, believed Trump remained on the original aircraft, with reporters instructed to keep their window shades closed.

downright scary

— Richard BlumenthalDemocratic senator for Connecticut, describing the operation on CNN.

Ned Price, a former deputy to the U.S. ambassador to the UN, criticized the administration for perpetuating an "outright lie" and turning reporters into "unwitting conspirators." He suggested that the White House could have protected the president without resorting to deception, stating, "There was a way to do this where they didn’t need to lie."

I want to know what precautions were taken to make sure that all of the passengers on that Air Force One, which was judged too dangerous for the president to fly on, what precautions were taken to keep the staff and reporters on that plane safe?

— Richard BlumenthalDemocratic senator for Connecticut, speaking on CNN about the need for a congressional briefing.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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