Former President Donald Trump reportedly used a catering truck to secretly switch planes after leaving a NATO summit in Turkey last month, a maneuver undertaken due to a credible Iranian threat against his aircraft, according to U.S. media reports.
While cameras captured Trump boarding Air Force One, he was allegedly then transported via an elevated airport catering truck to a smaller military aircraft, a C-32A, on the opposite side of the tarmac. Journalists and some White House staff on the original flight were reportedly unaware of the switch. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is said to have boarded the C-32A separately to maintain the appearance of a normal departure.
Officials cited by CBS News indicated that the U.S. had detected a credible threat of a missile being fired at Trump's plane. The White House has not officially confirmed the incident.
Trump had previously stated he was Iran's "number one target" during the summit in Ankara. The alleged clandestine operation occurred the day after the U.S. resumed military strikes on Iran following a breakdown in negotiations.
Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard a newer Boeing 747-8 lent by Qatar, but had publicly stated he would depart on the older Air Force One "for old time's sake." Footage from July 8 showed him boarding the presidential jet at Ankara's airport. The Washington Post reported that he was then moved to the C-32A, a modified Boeing 757 often used by the vice president.
Journalists and some White House staff were reportedly instructed to close their window shades while on board the original Air Force One. Trump then traveled to the United Kingdom before heading to the U.S., where he was later seen disembarking from the older Air Force One at RAF Mildenhall. It remains unclear how he transitioned back to the legacy jet from the C-32A.