President Donald Trump stated that his secret departure from Turkey last month, which involved a decoy Air Force One, was orchestrated by the Secret Service and the U.S. military. Trump said he followed their directive for security reasons.
"I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane. Equal safety. But they wanted me to do it, so I do it. I do what they say," Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews. He added that he believed the aircraft he traveled on was at greater risk, as it would be the more likely target.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Trump transferred from the primary Air Force One to a military aircraft via a catering container. This maneuver was reportedly unknown to the traveling press corps and some White House officials on the decoy flight. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were on the decoy Air Force One. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accompanied the president on the other plane. These three Cabinet members were aware of the switch due to the threat, sources said.
Trump acknowledged that there was a threat but downplayed his direct involvement in the details, stating, "I guess there was a threat out there. I didn't really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats."
At the time of the flight, Trump publicly announced he would be flying on the older Air Force One, claiming he was sending it to a U.K. base for service members to tour. Reports indicated at the time that Trump was advised against taking the newer, Qatari-gifted Air Force One due to security concerns amid escalating tensions with Iran.
Reporters on the decoy Air Force One flight were instructed to keep the windows closed for the entire duration, a mandate reportedly from the Secret Service. The transponder on the Air Force One that did not carry the president was turned off, according to reporting by The Washington Post.
The White House issued a statement addressing the report, saying, "As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats."