President Donald Trump used a catering truck decoy to secretly escape an Iranian assassination plot during a NATO summit in Turkey
President Donald Trump was secretly transported from the NATO summit in Turkey to a smaller military jet to evade a potential Iranian assassination plot. While the administration announced the use of a decoy plane, the president initially informed reporters that he would be flying on an older Air Force One jet while the new Qatari-gifted plane was sent ahead to British troops. In reality, the Secret Service used a trick to move Trump onto a smaller C-32A plane. He was smuggled onto the aircraft via a white catering truck, which allowed him to remain hidden from the Iranian forces who were aware of his specific location and hotel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained on the larger plane, leading many observers to believe the president was still on board. This maneuver was executed to mitigate the risk of a potential shoulder-mounted missile attack from Iran. Trump acknowledged the move later, stating that he followed the Secret Service's lead to ensure his safety during the dangerous profession of being president.
Sources
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Lawrence O'Donnell Reveals How Trump Just Lost His 'Magical Powers' Over The GOP
HuffPost
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Why officials decided to smuggle Trump out of Turkey with a catering truck and a secret plane
CNN
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Reporter breaks 26-year silence on briefing that preceded Clinton’s plane swap
The Washington Post
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Rubio and Bessent stayed on decoy flight from Turkey as Trump switched planes, official says
AP News
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Iran's state media mock Trump over airplane switch, meme shows him hiding in a catering truck
Reuters