Trump escaped hidden in a catering truck due to an assassination threat from Iran
The Secret Service transferred the president from Air Force One to a C-32 military plane while journalists and some White House staff believed he was still on board
WashingtonDonald Trump did not return from the NATO summit held in Ankara with the old Air Force One, as the White House had reported at the time. On July 8, the US president did not use the old presidential plane or the new Boeing gifted by Qatar, but rather the Air Force C-32. The Secret Service used the catering vehicle to discreetly move the Republican from one plane to another, according to government sources revealed to various US media outlets. The "Washington Post, the first to give the exclusive, explains that an Iranian threat to attempt to assassinate Trump triggered the operation.
The mission, of which nothing had been known until now, was carried out behind the backs of journalists and some members of the White House who flew aboard Air Force One. All of them traveled on the plane thinking they were on the same flight as the president, without even being notified of the existence of an Iranian threat.
The decision was made at a time when the conflict between the United States and Iran was escalating again, with new US attacks against facilities of the Islamic Republic. It was just when Trump declared the fragile ceasefire over and diplomatic efforts with Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz were once again at a standstill. Since the US bombed Tehran at the end of February and assassinated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the White House's concern about a possible Iranian threat has only grown.
The secrecy with which the operation was conducted, making part of the crew and passengers believe they were traveling with the president, gives an idea of the level of precaution adopted by the Secret Service in the face of the possibility of an attack against Trump. For decades, U.S. presidents have almost always flown accompanied by members of the press as part of their public coverage.
Even in the hours after the September 11 terrorist attack, members of George Bush's government did not immediately reveal details about his whereabouts and simply said that the president had been moved to "an unclassified location." But at no time did they lie about where he was, and after a few hours, they ended up disclosing that he had been moved to a military facility in Nebraska.
Shortly after the news of Trump's secret transfer became known, the White House has not yet denied the information. In statements to NewsNation, Steven Cheung, White House Communications Director, did not deny the existence of a third plane, saying: "There are many enemies of the United States who have him [Trump] in their sights, and we use every tool at our disposal to confront these threats".
The operation carried out on July 8 consisted of removing Trump from Air Force One a few minutes after he had boarded. In videos from the Turkish airport, the president is seen boarding through the front door of the old Air Force One and waving goodbye. Meanwhile, just behind him was the C-32A military aircraft.
In the images, you can see the catering truck moving under Air Force One just as Trump has entered the plane and how, through a hydraulic system, it raises the rear platform to the height of the Air Force One door. Minutes later, while members of the press were boarding through the rear door and Trump was supposedly already inside, you can see the truck's container lowering back to runway level and approaching the other C-32A, which was just behind.
The C-32A is a model used to transport other members of the U.S. government and which, on certain occasions, can assume presidential or vice-presidential transport functions. On this occasion, Trump flew with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
The return from Turkey was already controversial at the time when it was announced that Trump would return with the old Air Force One instead of the new one gifted to him by the Qataris. The U.S. president himself announced it on Truth Social, saying he would take one last flight on the aircraft, although the New York Times later revealed that the change was due to security concerns.
At that time, White House officials revealed to the press that the Boeing gifted by Qatar did not yet have all the necessary security measures to transport the president, due to Trump's haste to use it. The episode once again put the spotlight on the gift, which, beyond the obvious conflict of interest, had already raised a few eyebrows among Secret Service members due to its security deficiencies.