WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump was secretly transferred to a smaller military aircraft during his departure from Turkey last month and flown to Britain, while the White House publicly maintained he was traveling aboard Air Force One, according to reports citing U.S. officials familiar with the operation.
The elaborate security measure, first detailed by The Washington Post on Monday and corroborated by The New York Times, was triggered by a credible Iranian assassination threat against the president. It occurred as Trump left the NATO summit in Ankara on July 8 amid heightened U.S.-Iran tensions.
Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard a newly refurbished Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar and recently pressed into service as an interim Air Force One. For the return leg, he publicly boarded one of the older, iconic blue-and-white VC-25A aircraft in full view of cameras and the traveling press. Officials told reporters the older plane was being used “for old time’s sake,” while the new Qatari jet had been sent ahead to RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, so U.S. service members could tour it.
In reality, according to the reports, Trump was moved minutes later via an airport catering truck—normally used to load meals—to a third aircraft, an Air Force C-32A, a military version of the Boeing 757. The older Air Force One, carrying journalists and some White House staff who were unaware of the switch, served as a decoy. Window shades on that flight were ordered closed, a detail Trump later attributed to potential dangers from “sleazebags over here,” an apparent reference to Iran.
The C-32A carrying the president arrived at RAF Mildenhall around 10:20 p.m. local time. The decoy plane landed shortly afterward. Trump was then transferred back to the older Air Force One out of public view before emerging to greet service members and board the new Qatari aircraft for the final leg home to Joint Base Andrews. The entire stop in Britain lasted less than 20 minutes.
At the time, Trump posted on Truth Social that the new plane had been sent to Mildenhall “to honor our brave men and women of the Military” and allow them to tour the “brand new, and truly spectacular” aircraft. He described the detour as involving “virtually no deviation of flightpath.” Asked about threats, he said he was “number one on their list” but did not confirm specific security concerns driving the plane change.
The new aircraft’s rapid integration into presidential service had already drawn scrutiny over its defensive systems and the accelerated security upgrades. Some former officials questioned whether it was fully ready for high-threat environments. The White House has maintained that the plane meets necessary security protocols.
The July operation recalls rare past presidential deceptions, such as a 2000 flight by President Bill Clinton. It underscores the persistent security challenges facing Trump, who has repeatedly highlighted Iranian threats. No official White House confirmation of the full details of the secret transfer has been issued, though the administration has emphasized the need for flexible protective measures.
The brief stop at Mildenhall allowed troops a rare up-close look at the presidential fleet while enabling the secure repositioning. Trump returned to Washington without incident, completing a journey that mixed public pageantry with covert operational tradecraft amid ongoing regional conflict.
