Inside the Secret Service 'shell game' to hide US presidents in plain sight
The US Secret Service employs elaborate deception tactics, such as using decoy vehicles and secretly moving presidents between aircraft, to ensure presidential security. These 'shell games' are common practice to mislead potential threats, as detailed by former agents and authors.
Why it matters
This reveals the hidden complexities and constant vigilance required for presidential security, offering insight into the strategies used to protect leaders and the potential risks they face.
Figure caption, Watch: Was Donald Trump smuggled out of Air Force One in a catering truck?
On 8 July, US President Donald Trump boarded Air Force One in plain sight of television cameras as he departed the Nato summit in Turkey.
But when the mighty Boeing aircraft left Ankara, the president had reportedly already been secretly spirited away via a catering truck to a C-32A, a military version of the Boeing 757, which flew the president to RAF Mildenhall in the UK.
Those left on board were unwitting decoys and had no indication that Trump was no longer travelling with them.
But deception of this kind is not unusual.
"That's very common," said Ronald Kessler, an author who has written extensively on the agency. "There's a long history of strategies to mislead anybody who might be trying to harm the president."
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