U.S. President Donald Trump drew attention on July 8 (local time) after switching between an older and a newer Air Force One aircraft while returning home from a NATO summit held in Ankara, Turkey.

While President Trump stated that he sent the new Air Force One to a U.S. military base in the U.K. to show it to service members, he also mentioned the possibility of being a target for assassination by Iran, leading some to speculate that the switch was a security-related decision.

According to the White House press pool, President Trump departed Ankara on the older Air Force One at 8:43 p.m. local time that day.

He then arrived at RAF Mildenhall in the U.K. at 10:16 p.m., where he boarded the new Air Force One, which had been waiting there, at 11:01 p.m. to head to the White House.

The new Air Force One is a Boeing 747-8 model gifted by Qatar last year, with the aircraft alone valued at $400 million (610 billion won).

President Trump first used this aircraft during a visit to North Dakota on July 1, and the new Air Force One flew in formation with other Air Force aircraft over Washington, D.C., during the U.S. 250th anniversary celebration on July 4.

However, questions were raised as to why President Trump did not board the new Air Force One from the start of his return trip, despite having previously praised the aircraft.

The matter was also raised in a series of questions during President Trump's press conference in Ankara that day.

When asked to address speculation that he was leaving Ankara on a different aircraft rather than the new Air Force One due to security concerns related to Iran, President Trump replied, "As you know, the life of a president is very dangerous," adding, "I am number one on Iran's assassination target list."

He then remarked, "I don't worry about it because I'm doing my job."

When asked repeatedly why he was not flying on the new Air Force One for his return trip, President Trump reiterated that it was to have the aircraft stop at the U.S. military base in the U.K. so that soldiers could see it.

In this regard, Reuters reported that while President Trump did not directly answer whether he switched planes due to assassination threats, he acknowledged the existence of potential threats.

Prior to the press conference, President Trump had announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, "I am sending the brand new and truly spectacular Air Force One to RAF Mildenhall in the U.K. for the brave men and women of our military."

After arriving at Mildenhall, President Trump announced on Truth Social that he had boarded the new Air Force One, stating, "This flight was on the way back from Turkey to the United States, and the flight path was virtually not deviated from at all."

This is interpreted as an attempt to emphasize that switching aircraft did not significantly impact his return schedule.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)