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Donald Trump plane switch story (Img: Google)
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump acknowledged on Tuesday that he had to switch planes due to a security threat while returning from a trip to Turkey last month. Earlier on Monday, a media report claimed that, citing a potential threat from Iran, US intelligence agencies had transported Trump from Ankara to Britain via a secret military flight.
Trump stated that after his visit to Turkey last month, he secretly transferred from Air Force One to another aircraft because the Secret Service and the military wanted him to travel on a different plane. This step was taken due to a threat, though he was not afraid. Downplaying the highly secretive nature of the operation, he said he was not overly concerned about the matter.
Speaking to reporters after returning from an event in Ohio, Trump said, "They wanted me to travel on a different flight, a different plane." He noted that he did not have much choice in the matter. Trump added, "I felt there was a threat there. I didn't ask much about it.
I receive many threats. I think the plane I actually traveled on was at greater risk. I don't worry about anything. I believe whatever happens, happens." He did not provide detailed specifics about the incident.
Trump's statement corroborates a report by the *Washington Post*, which stated that he was moved to a different plane following a threat from Iran after a NATO summit in Turkey last month. The matter had been kept confidential for several weeks.
According to the report, shortly after boarding his original plane, Trump was taken out of that section of the airport via a catering truck and transferred to a US Air Force C-32A aircraft.
After being seen boarding the original Air Force One in front of cameras, Trump was secretly transported to the other aircraft using a catering truck. A catering truck is used to deliver food, beverages, and other essential supplies to aircraft.
Foreign trips undertaken by US Presidents have often been kept confidential for security reasons, though rarely in this specific manner. Details regarding itineraries and other logistics are frequently disclosed only after the fact due to security concerns. However, many details surrounding the circumstances of Trump's return from Turkey remain unknown.
According to The New York Times, two officials aware of the threat situation in Turkey revealed that US intelligence agencies had received various pieces of information.
The Iranians were well aware of where Trump was staying and even knew which floor he was on. An individual carrying a shoulder-fired missile had been spotted in the vicinity of the NATO summit venue.
According to ANI, a secret detail regarding the then-US President Bill Clinton's trip from India to Pakistan in 2000 has come to light after 26 years. Susan Page, a senior White House correspondent, revealed that prior to the high-risk visit to Pakistan, the Clinton administration implemented extraordinary security measures, including the use of a decoy aircraft.
In March 2000, a US aircraft bearing the 'Air Force One' markings landed in Islamabad in full view of cameras. The aircraft door opened, and a Secret Service agent—who bore a resemblance to Clinton—stepped out first. Shortly thereafter, a second, unmarked aircraft arrived; Clinton was on board this plane and disembarked from it.
