Trump says he switched planes after Nato summit because of possible threat
President Donald Trump confirmed he secretly swapped planes during a NATO summit in Turkey due to a credible Iranian missile threat. The maneuver involved using a catering truck to move the President to a different aircraft while journalists remained on the original plane as decoys.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the extreme security measures taken to protect heads of state during active geopolitical conflicts and raises ethical questions regarding the use of journalists as unwitting decoys.
Figure caption, Watch: Trump tells reporters why he switched planes
President Donald Trump has confirmed that he secretly swapped planes as he left a Nato summit in Turkey last month due to a possible threat.
"I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go in a different flight, different plane," Trump told reporters on Tuesday. "I just have to do what they say."
The revelation comes after reports that Trump boarded Air Force One on 8 July in view of television cameras before being transported to a military aircraft with the help of a catering truck.
The last-minute switch has raised questions about whether those on the decoy plane were left in danger, but Trump maintained on Tuesday the military jet he boarded instead was at "greater risk".
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