Trump Secretly Switched Planes Over Possible Iranian Threat, U.S. Media Reports

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (Reuters-style) — U.S. media reports say President Donald Trump secretly switched aircraft after leaving a NATO summit in Turkey last month because of a possible Iranian threat, although the White House has not directly confirmed or denied the reports.

According to The Washington Post, Trump was seen boarding the presidential aircraft in front of television cameras at Ankara airport on July 8. He was later secretly transferred to a smaller military aircraft, the C-32A, a modified Boeing 757 normally used by the U.S. vice president.

The newspaper reported that Trump was moved to the C-32A through a catering truck that was raised to the level of the aircraft door, allowing him to board out of public view.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly boarded the C-32A separately using an external staircase, helping make the aircraft switch appear routine and avoid drawing attention to the additional security measures.

U.S. Officials Reportedly Warned of Iranian Threat

According to U.S. media reports, American officials had received information about a credible potential threat from Iran involving a missile attack against Trump's aircraft.

CBS News had previously reported that U.S. intelligence agencies had warned of a specific threat that Trump or an aircraft he was using could be targeted.

During the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump told reporters that he was allegedly Iran's "number one target."

Trump Spoke About Dangerous Flight

Trump later flew back to Washington aboard the new Boeing 747-8 aircraft provided by Qatar.

During the flight, Trump spoke with journalists travelling with him about threats from Iran but reportedly did not disclose the secret aircraft switch.

When asked why journalists had been instructed to keep the aircraft's window shades down while departing Turkey, Trump said it was because of the people the United States was dealing with and that they were potentially on a dangerous flight.

Trump said his life was "always under threat" and that he was allegedly Iran's "number one target."

He also joked with reporters that if something happened to him, they would be affected as well, before suggesting they might consider changing professions.

White House Does Not Directly Confirm Aircraft Switch

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung did not directly confirm or deny reports that Trump had secretly changed aircraft.

He said, however, that the new Air Force One is equipped with advanced security measures designed to protect the president and his staff.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told CBS News that the new Air Force One is fully safe for presidential travel but would undergo additional upgrades in the fall, with the work expected to take about a month.

Security Questions Surround New Air Force One

Trump arrived in Turkey aboard a new Boeing 747-8 aircraft provided by Qatar. The United States has spent months modifying and upgrading the $400 million aircraft to make it suitable for presidential use.

The New York Times had previously reported that the Secret Service advised Trump to switch aircraft on his return from the NATO summit because of security concerns.

CBS News reported that older Air Force One aircraft are equipped with laser-based defensive technology designed to help counter incoming missiles. It remains unclear whether the same type of defensive systems are currently installed on the Qatar-provided aircraft.

The U.S. Justice Department has also been investigating the alleged unauthorized disclosure of classified information related to security concerns surrounding the new presidential aircraft.

The White House has maintained that the new Air Force One has advanced security measures to protect the president during travel.