Trump Reportedly Moved to Secret Military Aircraft Amid Assassination Threat

US President Donald Trump was reportedly moved from his main aircraft to a smaller military plane in a covert security operation after intelligence officials received information about a possible assassination threat from Iran.

According to The New York Times, Trump was returning from the NATO summit in Turkey when security officials reportedly carried out the unexpected aircraft switch.

Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard a new Boeing 747-8 that was donated by Qatar and had undergone extensive security upgrades by the US administration.

At the end of the summit, Trump told reporters he would not be returning on the newly upgraded aircraft, saying he would instead use an older plane “for old time’s sake.”

He was subsequently seen boarding the older aircraft in Ankara, which was expected to fly to a US military base in the United Kingdom.

However, the reported plan was allegedly a decoy.

Officials familiar with the operation told The New York Times that Trump was secretly transferred from the aircraft using an airport catering vehicle. He was reportedly taken to a smaller Air Force C-32A, which was waiting to transport him to the UK.

The operation was reportedly designed to keep Trump’s movements hidden, with journalists and even some White House personnel on the decoy aircraft apparently unaware of the switch.

The C-32A carrying Trump eventually landed at RAF Mildenhall in the UK, arriving approximately nine minutes before the reporters and White House staff travelling on the other aircraft.

The reported security operation came after intelligence officials were said to have identified a specific threat against Trump. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Israel had warned US officials about a possible Iranian plot targeting the president.

Responding to reports about the incident, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung highlighted the security measures on the Qatar-donated aircraft.

He said the new Air Force One is equipped with advanced security systems designed to protect the president and his staff, adding that the administration uses “every tool at our disposal” to address threats against Trump.

Watch the video below for more details.

 

View this post on Instagram