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US President Donald Trump (Img: Pinterest)
Washington: US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he switched aircraft during his recent visit to Turkey after security officials alerted him about a possible threat. Trump said the decision was taken on the advice of the Secret Service and the US military.
Speaking to reporters after returning from Ohio, Trump said he follows security recommendations provided by his protection agencies and does not question operational decisions made for his safety.
“I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane. I do what they say,” Trump said while responding to questions about the aircraft change.
The security-related aircraft switch reportedly involved multiple changes during Trump’s Turkey trip. Reports earlier suggested that Trump moved from a Qatar-provided Boeing 747-8 aircraft to an older Air Force One following concerns over a potential threat.
Later reports claimed that the US President was moved again to a smaller C-32A aircraft through a discreet security operation. The movement was reportedly carried out without informing some officials and members of the media travelling with him.
Journalists aboard the older aircraft were reportedly unaware that Trump had already been shifted to another plane.
Trump also claimed that he has received several threats that are not publicly known. He said that high-profile leaders often face security challenges because of their positions.
“Any consequential president has a lot of threats,” Trump said, adding that he believes significant leaders naturally attract greater risks.
Despite the reported threat, Trump said he does not worry about such situations and trusts the security arrangements made by federal agencies.
The White House has not released detailed information about the nature of the threat or the security assessment that led to the aircraft changes.
