Trump Moved Off Air Force One Amid Iranian Missile Threat
President's plane reportedly used as decoy after Nato summit, raising questions about passenger safety and transparency.
Carla Rooney
President Donald Trump was reportedly moved from Air Force One to a military jet following the Nato summit in Turkey.
The threat prompted a security operation; Trump announced he would fly on an older Air Force One for the journey from Turkey to Mildenhall military base in the UK.
A Boeing C-32A carrying the president landed first at Mildenhall, followed by a decoy aircraft.
Trump then transported back to the decoy plane, exiting in front of media cameras. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded the smaller plane separately.
More than a hundred aides, officials, and reporters reportedly remained on the original Air Force One, flying towards Britain without being informed of the threat.
Journalists and some White House staff on board were reportedly unaware the US president had been moved. The planes touched down in the U.K. later that night.
I guess there was a threat out there. I didn't really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats.
Former Secret Service agents have a history of using decoy tactics to protect presidents. President Bill Clinton reportedly employed a similar maneuver in 2000 for travel to Pakistan.
The incident occurred after Trump departed the NATO summit in Turkey and was leaving for the 2026 Patriot Games in Ohio.
Trump himself acknowledged the situation, stating, "I guess there was a threat out there. I didn't really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats."
Democrats have called for a congressional briefing regarding the incident. Richard Blumenthal demanded answers about the safety of those on the original flight.
Blumenthal stated, "I want to know what precautions were taken to make sure that all of the passengers on that Air Force One, which was judged too dangerous for the president to fly on, what precautions were taken to keep the staff and reporters on that plane safe."
The security concerns follow a series of alleged threats against Trump, including a US-ordered missile strike in January 2020 that killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) leader Qasem Soleimani.
In July 2024, US law enforcement arrested Asif Merchant, who allegedly had ties to the IRGC, for plotting to kill Trump. In October 2024, Farhad Shakeri, an Afghani citizen, was charged with another assassination scheme allegedly directed by an IRGC official.
Trump was also injured in July 2024 after a gunman reportedly opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
A banner reading "#KillTrump" reportedly appeared at the funeral service for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. A building in Tehran featured a mural of the American president in a black coffin with the words "We will kill Trump" and "Blood for blood" written below it.
Iranians reportedly knew specifically where the president was staying during the Ankara trip, down to the floor of the building, despite the security measures.