Former U.S. Secret Service agents have described a recent clandestine plane switch involving former President Donald Trump as unusual, but not unprecedented, attributing the maneuver to security improvisations under time pressure. The operation involved Trump departing a trip from Turkey to the United Kingdom by switching to an unmarked aircraft, a move that broke with the long-standing White House tradition of presidents traveling with a press pool.
According to former agents interviewed by TIME, decisions regarding such presidential movements are typically a joint effort involving the Secret Service, the White House Military Office, and White House staff, with no single entity holding ultimate authority. They also pushed back against suggestions that the Air Force One aircraft, which remained airborne with its passengers including journalists, was left vulnerable.
"I would find it incredibly hard to believe that those two planes weren't escorted or with other assets from allies or the U.S. Air Force in the area,” said one former agent, who doubted the passengers were left unprotected. The Department of Defense has referred questions about the operation to the White House, which TIME has reached out to for comment.
While the absence of the press pool marked a departure from tradition, it is not without historical precedent. In 2010, former President Barack Obama left the White House for his daughter's soccer game without informing reporters. A more direct comparison comes from the year 2000, when President Bill Clinton secretly traveled to Pakistan on an unmarked plane. In that instance, at least one member of the White House press pool was reportedly briefed on the operation beforehand.