Donald Trump's plane switch after alleged missile threat sparks debate over 'decoy' passengers
Ethical concerns have emerged following reports that journalists were used as 'decoys' on a flight during a high-stakes security operation to protect President Trump from an alleged Iranian missile threat. Trump defended the move, stating he followed the guidance of the Secret Service.
Why it matters
The incident raises questions about the ethics of using non-combatants as decoys in military-style security operations.
Link copied Share Share article Ethical questions have been raised about a US Secret Service ruse that used a plane full of journalists as a possible "decoy" in response to an alleged Iranian threat to shoot Air Force One out of the sky.
The Washington Post yesterday revealed US President Donald Trump secretly climbed off the plane and into an airport catering truck minutes after he was filmed boarding the aircraft in Türkiye in July.
The president was moved after the US received intelligence from Israel about an Iranian threat to use shoulder-to-air missiles to target the plane, the Wall Street Journal reported today.
The plane then left Türkiye, which borders Iran, carrying members of the media and some White House staff who had been in Ankara with the president for a NATO summit.
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