New reporting says President Donald Trump did not depart Turkey on the plane shown to the public. Instead, he was reportedly moved into a catering truck and shuttled to a smaller military jet amid a threat tied to Iran. The Associated Press, citing a Washington Post account it has not independently verified, reports the switch occurred after the NATO summit in Ankara. The Guardian, summarizing the same reporting, adds that journalists and some White House staff believed the president remained on the older, baby-blue Air Force One that took off in view of TV cameras.
According to AP, U.S. officials flagged a credible threat before the departure. The outlet reports Trump boarded the legacy Air Force One as usual, then—out of sight—entered an airport catering vehicle that took him to a smaller military aircraft, which flew him to Britain. The Guardian reports the operation concealed the president’s location for hours, even from some people inside his own team. Reporters on the older Air Force One were reportedly told to keep their window shades down before takeoff, both outlets note.
The Daily Beast says footage aired by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins showed moments of the handoff, with images appearing to show the president boarding and a catering truck pulling away shortly after. Collins said the truck ferried him to a third plane, consistent with the Post’s account. The Daily Beast also reports there is still no public clarity on how Trump later transferred back to the larger jet for cameras to capture him deplaning in the United Kingdom.
AP reports the White House did not directly address the specifics of the reported switch but shared a statement from communications director Steven Cheung emphasizing steps taken to address threats. The Secret Service declined to comment, AP says. The Guardian notes Trump had said before departure that he planned to use the former Air Force One for old times’ sake, while a newly introduced 747-8 reportedly stopped at the same base so U.S. service members could see it. Both AP and The Guardian recount that after landing in Britain, photographers captured Trump appearing to step off the older plane before later moving on to the new jet for the final leg home.
AP adds that Sen. Richard Blumenthal called for a congressional investigation, saying the episode warrants closer scrutiny. Both AP and The Guardian report that some pool reporters asked mid-flight about the closed window shades and that Trump later made a remark to reporters.
Why it matters
Presidential travel is supposed to be predictable and well-documented for safety and accountability. If the president’s location is concealed from the public and even from parts of his own staff, it raises questions about what the press and Congress should be told during an active conflict. The reported use of a decoy plane and a catering-truck transfer may have been prudent, but it also highlights the tension between security and transparency. For regular people, it’s a reminder that the rules we count on in a crisis—clear information, consistent procedures, independent oversight—matter most when the stakes are highest.