Trump Escapes Assassination Threat in Covert 'Stealth Departure'… Air Force One Was a Decoy

It has been belatedly revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump carried out a covert, spy-movie-like "stealth departure" to escape an Iranian assassination threat when he left Türkiye last month after attending the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit.

According to the U.S. daily The Washington Post (WP) on the 10th local time, President Trump secretly boarded a military C-32A transport aircraft instead of the official presidential aircraft, Air Force One, and headed to Britain when he departed Ankara, Türkiye, on the 8th of last month, contrary to the White House's official announcement.

At the time, President Trump boarded the older model of Air Force One at the Ankara airport under the spotlight of the press.

However, a few minutes later, President Trump and a few key aides secretly climbed into the container of a catering truck connected to a door on the opposite side of the aircraft.

The hydraulic cylinders on the truck operated by raising and lowering the container to the height of the airliner's entry door.

After getting off Air Force One via the container, President Trump immediately transferred to a C-32A waiting nearby.

Until this report, White House reporters believed that President Trump had traveled to Britain aboard Air Force One with them.

Reporters aboard Air Force One were reportedly instructed to close their window shades so they would not notice the situation.

In the end, Air Force One, carrying the press and White House staff, served as a "decoy" to distract from any potential attack on President Trump by Iran, WP reported.

The C-32A carrying President Trump flew to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in Britain with its tracking system turned off, using the ordinary call sign "Reach 18" instead of "Air Force One," the air traffic control call sign designated for aircraft carrying the U.S. president.

Upon arriving in Britain, President Trump hurriedly transferred back to Air Force One so reporters wouldn't notice, before appearing in front of cameras to encourage U.S. service members.

He then boarded the new Air Force One—which had been donated by Qatar and serviced—and returned to the United States.

At the time, it was only known that President Trump had flown from Türkiye to Britain aboard the older Air Force One due to an assessment of an Iranian assassination threat, and switched to the new Air Force One there.

Going beyond what was previously known, WP reported that President Trump carried out an extreme deception operation, secretly switching to a military plane and flying from Türkiye to Britain, because there was a specific assassination threat from Iran.

While talking with reporters for about 15 minutes aboard the new Air Force One, President Trump emphasized the Iranian assassination threat, but made no mention of the preceding deception operation.

Regarding the order given at the Türkiye airport for reporters to pull down their cabin window shades, he answered, "That was because we were having a dangerous flight because of those dirty people we have to deal with."

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.