Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Buzz Patterson, who once carried the nuclear "football" for President Bill Clinton, has voiced serious concerns about the public exposure of operational security tactics, particularly those employed to protect President Donald Trump during a recent Air Force One maneuver.
Patterson stated that while the Air Force One decoy operation used to protect Trump departing Turkey was "brilliant," the subsequent leaks revealing its details are "incredibly dangerous" and could jeopardize national security.
"Whoever leaked that, in my opinion, and having been involved in this, was highly placed in that process," Patterson told Fox News Digital. "There’s only a few people who actually know exactly what’s going down, and that’s by design. So if somebody leaked it, it was somebody involved in the process, and that scares the hell out of me."
The tactic involved Trump publicly boarding the familiar presidential 747 before being secretly transferred via a catering vehicle to a smaller Air Force C-32A. The legacy 747 then departed as a decoy while Trump traveled separately. This aircraft was later protected by U.S. fighter jets during its flight to the United Kingdom, carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and members of the traveling press corps who were instructed to keep their window shades closed.
Patterson explained that presidential decoy operations, including aircraft swaps and motorcade route decoys, are long-standing tools used to protect the commander-in-chief, senior officials, and the White House press corps. He noted that two Air Force One aircraft typically travel together, with one serving as a decoy and a backup.
"We use decoys all the time," Patterson said. "We use decoy in the motorcade routes. We do the same thing with airplanes, especially in international trips."
He emphasized that these security measures are not solely for the current president but are designed to ensure the continuity of the presidency and protect whoever occupies the office. Patterson, who has been critical of Trump in the past, stressed the importance of upholding an oath to the office of the presidency, regardless of personal political views.
Patterson also revealed that President Clinton was the first president he knew of to use an airport catering vehicle as part of a clandestine movement. During one instance, a catering truck was used to discreetly board Clinton onto a presidential aircraft when he was unable to use the front steps, a maneuver that was never publicly reported at the time.
He recounted a surprise visit to Bosnia on Christmas Eve in 1997 with President Clinton, where secrecy was paramount to entering a war zone without prior announcement. He believes similar circumstances were at play for Trump's recent flight.
Pushing back against criticism that Trump's operation endangered passengers on the decoy aircraft, Patterson highlighted that the plane carried Air Force personnel and senior government officials, in addition to journalists. He argued that exposing these security protocols is "irresponsible" and could prevent future presidents from making surprise visits to troops in dangerous regions or entering high-threat areas. Such exposure, he warned, would necessitate an overhaul of the nation's security apparatus, potentially putting the presidency and Cabinet members in significant danger.