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Trump secretly switched to different plane in Turkey amid Iran missile threat
CBS News • • world
Key Points:
- President Trump secretly switched planes in Turkey before departing Ankara following a credible missile threat from Iran and its proxies, as revealed by U.S. intelligence and reported by CBS News and The Washington Post.
- The president initially boarded the older Air Force One, then was discreetly moved to a separate plane while the press and staff remained on the original aircraft, unaware they were on a decoy.
- The plane switch was advised by the Secret Service for security reasons, despite Trump publicly stating he chose the older plane "for old time's sake."
- Members of the press were instructed to keep window shades closed during the flight, with Trump later hinting at security concerns related to threats against him.
- The newer Air Force One, donated by Qatar and retrofitted by the U.S. Air Force, was used for the transatlantic leg after a refueling stop in the UK; officials declined to detail the secret operation, citing the need to protect presidential security protocols.
