Leak: Trump Secretly Flew on Smaller Plane After Moving from Air Force One in Catering Truck
President Donald Trump reportedly took a secret flight from Turkey to the United Kingdom on July 8 after being quietly moved off Air Force One because of an Iranian threat.
The reported operation unfolded during the NATO summit in Ankara. Trump had arrived on the legacy Air Force One aircraft. But when it was time to leave Turkey, the plane was used as a decoy while Trump traveled on a smaller military aircraft.
The Washington Post reported that Trump was moved from Air Force One to a C-32A parked nearby. The switch happened out of sight of the press. Trump reportedly boarded an airport catering truck and used it to travel from one aircraft to the other.
Pool reporters believed they were flying with Trump aboard Air Force One as the aircraft left Turkey. Instead, the president was on the smaller plane while the original aircraft flew across the Middle East toward the United Kingdom.
Trump had repeatedly warned reporters during the summit that Iran was plotting to assassinate him. He said he was “number one” on Iran’s kill list. Still, he dismissed security concerns when asked whether they explained the change in aircraft.
After crossing the region, Trump boarded the newer luxury aircraft donated to the United States by Qatar at Mildenhall Air Force Base in the UK. Reporters later pressed him about the flight and why they had been instructed to keep their window shades down while traveling from Turkey.
Trump responded, “I’m number one on their list before you, but if I go, you go.”
Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post described the incident in a social media post:
EXCLUSIVE: An Iranian assassination threat against President Trump prompted an extraordinary operation last month in which he flew secretly from Turkey on an alternate military aircraft while the White House said he was aboard Air Force One, The Washington Post has learned.
— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) August 10, 2026
A second post detailed how Trump was moved between the aircraft using the catering truck, keeping the switch hidden from reporters and other observers.
How did this happen? We’re told Trump boarded the legacy Air Force One in Turkey.
But moments later, he secretly moved from that jet to a smaller C-32A that was parked nearby. He moved from one jet to the next aboard an airport catering truck, out of sight from the media.
— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) August 10, 2026
Video from Ankara reportedly captured Trump’s departure, the catering truck, and the smaller C-32A aircraft. The unusual scene has drawn attention because it shows just how seriously the reported threat was being treated.
WATCH:
White House communications director Steven Cheung said:
“The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff. As the President has said recently, there are many enemies…
— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) August 10, 2026
The report comes after the Department of War revoked former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall’s eligibility to access classified intelligence. The action followed the leaking of classified information about Air Force One to the media.
Kendall, who served during the Biden administration, was accused of leaking sensitive details about the Qatari-gifted aircraft to The New York Times. Federal agents later served subpoenas to four Times reporters after the newspaper published information about alleged security shortcomings on the plane.
Those reports claimed the new aircraft lacked some advanced defensive systems installed on other presidential aircraft. The White House pushed back forcefully.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said, “The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff. 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.”
The reported flight shows the extraordinary precautions being taken around Trump as Iranian threats against the president remain a serious security concern.