Intelligence that an Iranian terror cell had smuggled a shoulder-fired missile into Turkey triggered a decision to secretly move President Donald Trump onto a separate military aircraft during his departure from Ankara last month. The decision was made four or five hours before Trump's scheduled departure, according to a senior administration official with firsthand knowledge, as reported by ABC News.
It was also believed at the time that the Iranians had information about Trump's specific movements in Ankara, the official said. That combination of factors prompted an elaborate security operation that was kept secret from the traveling press and even from some White House officials who were aboard the decoy plane.
Before leaving Turkey following the NATO summit, Trump was transferred from the old Air Force One to a military aircraft using a catering container. Only a handful of people on the original Air Force One knew what was happening. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were on the decoy Air Force One. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew on the plane carrying the president. All three Cabinet members were aware of the switch, sources told ABC News.
The Washington Post first reported the operation. Reporters traveling on what they believed to be the president's plane were told to keep their window shades closed for the entire flight, a mandate described as coming from the Secret Service. The decoy Air Force One also had its transponder turned off, according to the Post.
The plane carrying Trump was escorted by F-35 fighter jets, standard protocol for Air Force One. The decoy plane was also escorted by F-35s, which is not standard for a plane not carrying the president.
Trump told reporters Tuesday night that the operation was the work of the Secret Service and the U.S. military. When asked what he thought of the whole operation, a senior administration official offered a short answer: "He loved it."
The White House issued a statement saying, "As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats."
Former national security adviser H.R. McMaster also weighed in. Speaking on CBS News, McMaster said about the operation, "It seems like the system worked."
