US president says he was told to fly on different plane after NATO summit amid safety concerns
The new Air Force One, a plane gifted by the Qatari government, taxis near the old Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US. Photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday that the Secret Service and military directed him to use a “different plane” when departing Türkiye last month following a NATO summit, citing safety concerns.
“It’s only up to the Secret Service. I just follow what they like to do. So I go by the Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go in a different flight, a different plane, equal safety,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after returning from Ohio.
“They wanted me to do it, so I do it. I do what they say,” he said.
“I guess there was a threat out there. I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats,” he added, without elaborating.
Read: Trump boarded secret Turkey flight via catering truck due to Iran threat – media
“I have a lot of threats. I have a lot of threats that you don’t know about. Any consequential president has a lot of threats. Non-consequential presidents don’t get threatened. And I think that I may be the most consequential president. Nobody’s done more than me in a period of almost six years,” he said.
His remarks came when asked about a report in The Washington Post that he secretly switched aircraft after initially appearing to board Air Force One in Ankara.
According to the report, Trump was moved from Air Force One to a smaller military aircraft in a covert operation, while Air Force One continued to fly with White House officials, security personnel and journalists aboard.
The Washington Post reported that the operation was prompted by an alleged assassination threat from Iran and involved Trump being moved from Air Force One through an airport catering vehicle before boarding another aircraft.
The operation took place following Trump’s participation in the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8.
