Trump Says Secret Service Ordered Plane Swap Over Threat

President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday that the Secret Service directed him to switch aircraft while leaving Turkey following last month’s NATO summit, saying the move was prompted by a potential threat to the plane he was scheduled to use.

Speaking to reporters after returning from an event in Ohio, Trump said the decision was entirely the Secret Service’s responsibility and that he follows recommendations from the agency or the military when it comes to his security. He said agents instructed him to move to another aircraft that offered “equal safety,” leaving him little choice but to make the change.

Trump said he assumed there was a “threat out there,” but added that he did not ask for many details because he receives a “lot of threats.” Asked whether he was concerned about reports of a possible shoulder-launched missile attack, Trump said he does not “worry about anything” and described his approach as “whatever.”

The president also dismissed concerns that White House staffers and members of the press traveling aboard the aircraft that served as a decoy may have unknowingly faced additional danger. Trump said he believed the smaller Boeing C-32A he was traveling on was actually “at greater risk,” because potential attackers would have been more likely to target that aircraft.

The Washington Post first reported Monday night that Trump had secretly changed planes after departing Turkey. Trump had arrived in the country aboard the newer jet gifted to the United States by Qatar, making what was described as its first international trip in its role as the future Air Force One. The White House had indicated that Trump would leave Turkey aboard the older Air Force One aircraft.

After Trump publicly boarded the older jet, he was reportedly transferred without public notice to a C-32A, an aircraft commonly used by the vice president and senior Cabinet officials. The transfer was carried out using a catering truck, allowing Trump to leave the larger aircraft without attracting attention.

Earlier reports about Trump’s departure from Turkey had focused on why he used the older Air Force One instead of the Qatari-gifted aircraft. Those reports cited concerns over the newer plane’s security capabilities.

The New York Times reported that some White House personnel and journalists aboard the older Air Force One were not informed of the switch and believed Trump remained on the aircraft. After the planes reached the United Kingdom, Trump was discreetly transferred back onto the older Air Force One before exiting the aircraft in front of reporters. He then traveled from the U.K. airbase to Washington, D.C., aboard the newer Qatari-gifted plane.

Reports have linked the aircraft change to warnings about a potential missile attack. The Wall Street Journal, citing a U.S. official briefed on the matter, reported that Israel had warned the Trump administration about possible threats, including the potential use of shoulder-fired missiles against Air Force One. No missile was fired at any of the aircraft that left Ankara, according to the report.

The New York Times also reported on the potential shoulder-launched missile threat and said Iranian officials were aware of Trump’s location in Ankara, including the floor of the building where he was staying.

Several senior administration officials reportedly remained aboard the older Air Force One even after Trump was transferred. The New York Times, citing two unnamed officials, identified Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller and White House communications director Steven Cheung among those who stayed on the aircraft. Rubio was reportedly aware of the threat involving Trump, although it was unclear whether the other officials had been informed.