Trump confirmed that he changed planes in Turkey because of a threat
U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that after the NATO summit in Ankara in July he changed planes at the airport of the Turkish capital because of a possible threat.
Speaking with journalists, the head of the White House explained that he acted on the instructions of the U.S. Secret Service and the military. "They wanted me to fly on a different flight, on a different plane, with the same level of security, but they wanted me to do it, so I did it. I do what they say," Trump said.
"I think there was some kind of threat. I didn't really ask much about it. I get a lot of threats," he continued. "I get a lot of threats you don't know about. Any powerful president gets a lot of threats. Presidents who are not powerful don't get threats," the American leader stated.
According to the newspaper The Washington Post (WP), in front of television cameras the head of the American state boarded the presidential jet Air Force One, but did not depart on it, flying instead on the smaller Air Force C-32A aircraft. The U.S. president was secretly transported to that plane in a van used to deliver in-flight meals, into which he moved unnoticed from the presidential jet, the publication's sources said. According to them, the operation was carried out because of threats from Iran.
On board Air Force One were White House staff and a group of journalists accompanying Donald Trump on his trips. They were not informed about the switch and the possible Iranian threat, and were also made to keep the window shades closed, WP reported.
From Turkey, Trump flew to the United Kingdom, where the journalists, his delegation and he himself transferred to the new presidential plane donated by Qatar. Upon arrival in the United States, the head of the White House stepped off the plane in front of journalists' cameras. According to the newspaper, this was meant to give the public the impression that Trump had made the entire flight from Turkey aboard presidential jets.
Source: DW
