Trump explains plane switch following Iranian threats against Air Force One

By KELLY GARINO, US REPORTER and ELINA SHIRAZI, US SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 05:31, 12 August 2026 | Updated: 05:40, 12 August 2026 Donald Trump has downplayed a ruse which saw him secretly switch planes on his way back from the NATO summit last month. The president was covertly smuggled from an Air Force One jet onto a smaller C-32A aircraft via a catering truck after intelligence officials raised concerns of a possible Iranian assassination attempt. Trump said on Tuesday that he consented to the switch following a request from the Secret Service. 'I just follow what they'd like me to do,' he said when asked about the plot as he was on his way back from the 2026 Patriot Games in Ohio. 'They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane, equal safety, so I do it. I do what they say.' He also minimized the significance of the intel which prompted the secret flight.  'I guess there was a threat out there. I didn't really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats,' Trump added. The president also said he felt the C-32A he was aboard was more dangerous than the Air Force One jet which took off with unsuspecting journalists and White House staffers on board as a decoy. 'I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk! I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane, I think that they would be more likely to go for it,' he said. Donald Trump downplayed a ruse which saw him secretly switch planes on his way back from the NATO summit last month, telling reporters he consented to a request to switch planes from the Secret Service The president said he felt the C-32A he was aboard was more dangerous than the Air Force One jet which took off with unsuspecting White House staffers as a decoy The president initially flew to the summit in Turkey aboard a new Qatari-gifted 747-8 jet before announcing he would return via the UK on an older Air Force One model 'for old times' sake.' He was seen boarding the legacy Air Force One jet in Ankara before he covertly entered a food container that had been fitted to the belly of the plane, The New York Times reported. From there, a catering truck drove the container to the waiting C-32A and it was lifted to the plane, according to the Washington Post. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a prominent show of boarding the C-32A, helping to sell the illusion that it was a routine flight to anyone watching.  The elaborate ruse fooled those on board the old Air Force One, leaving unsuspecting journalists and even some senior White House staffers none the wiser as they flew aboard the 'decoy' Air Force One.  Journalists, believing Trump was aboard, were instructed to close their window shades. After the two planes landed in the UK, Trump was apparently smuggled from the C-32A back to the legacy Air Force One jet and was seen descending on external stairs.   From there, he embarked on the Qatari-donated plane to travel back to Washington with the White House press pool. A catering truck was visibly parked on the opposite side of Air Force One after Donald Trump boarded the plane in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8 Journalists who boarded the old Air Force One plane believed the President was on board Last month, Trump embarked on the Qatari-donated plane to travel back to Washington with the White House press pool after the swap Onboard that aircraft, the President spoke to journalists for about 15 minutes, highlighting the threat that Iran poses. When asked why reporters were ordered to lower their window shades on the plane in Turkey, Trump said it was 'because you're probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleaze bags that we have to deal with.' He then added that he has a 'threat all the time' on his life and that he is 'number one' on Iran's 'list.' Tehran has been vocal in its threats and last week a massive, custom-made banner featuring a caricature of Trump under a large, blood-red painted 'bullseye' scope was seen dominating Tajrish Square in the capital, according to photos exclusively obtained by the Daily Mail. Below the image of the targeted President, in large crimson English capital letters, is the chilling phrase: 'There will be blood.' Iranian media has also threatened to go after First Lady Melania Trump and Barron Trump, with a recent AI-generated video highlighting the locations the First Lady likes to shop and how would-be assassins could target her.  The report on Trump's escape comes weeks after White House communications director Steven Cheung first suggested administration officials engaged in subterfuge as Trump was departing the summit. '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 - including distraction and misdirection - to address those threats,' Cheung previously told the NY Times.  The reported subterfuge came as Trump was leaving the NATO summit in Turkey last month The statement suggested that administration officials viewed the Iranian threat as credible, taking extreme precautions to ensure the president's safety amid renewed military strikes on Iran. But the threats were not directed at the Qatari-donated jet itself, Cheung noted, as he denied that the plane posed a security risk.  '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,' he said in a statement to the Washington Post. The White House also released a statement insisting that the Qatari-donated aircraft is 'secure and equipped with the most advanced technologies necessary to meet requirements of the presidential mission.' 'Those requirements were carefully created to prioritize mission over aesthetics, leaving much of the previous head of state interior layout minimally changed,' a spokesman for the Air Force told the Washington Post. 'No risk was taken in security, safety or mission communications, but the collective team made trades on some of the less-commonly used mission sets that Boeing must deliver to support the next 40 years,' it added.