Trump says his decoy plane faced ‘greater risk’ in secret flight change

What the report says

President Donald Trump has confirmed that he was quietly moved to a different aircraft during a NATO summit in Turkiye last month because of what he described as a potential assassination threat from Iran, according to Al Jazeera’s report based on Reuters. Trump said the Secret Service and military directed the change and that he followed their instructions.

The report says the switch took place on July 8 in Ankara, where Trump was transferred between planes by catering truck and onto a military aircraft. The White House did not publicly disclose the move at the time, and the arrangement remained unnoticed until The Washington Post reported it this week.

Trump also said he believed the aircraft he used was actually at greater risk than the decoy plane. Al Jazeera reported that Air Force One still carried journalists and senior aides, who were apparently unaware that the president had already left and, according to the article, remained exposed to any possible Iranian attack.

The episode highlights the security precautions around presidential travel and the risks that can arise when travel plans are altered without public notice. More broadly, it reflects the heightened sensitivity of U.S.-Iran tensions and the protective measures used when officials believe a credible threat may exist.