A video has surfaced showing the unusual operation to transport Donald Trump last month in Ankara, during which the U.S. president was secretly transported in a supply truck to an alternate military aircraft instead of Air Force One, even though the White House had announced that he was aboard the presidential aircraft.
The revelation was made by The Washington Post.
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This secret mission —about which there had been no previous reports—took place without the knowledge of journalists and some members of the White House staff, who believed they were on the same aircraft as the President.
According to an anonymous U.S. official who spoke to the newspaper, Trump boarded Air Force One in Ankara on July 8, but was then transferred to a supply pod attached to the plane.
The pod transported him to a smaller C-32A aircraft, which headed for Britain, while the media and some officials believed that Trump was still on the larger aircraft.
Wild Moment: Trump Reportedly Snuck Off Air Force One in a Catering Truck https://t.co/31WUv4QtLc pic.twitter.com/wKwgrCH4N0
— New York Post (@nypost) August 11, 2026
The Iranian threat had previously been cited by U.S. media as the reason Trump did not depart Turkey on the new Boeing 747-8, which had been donated to the U.S. by Qatar and on which he had arrived in the country.
Trump, who was in Ankara for the NATO summit, had stated at the time that he would use the older Boeing 747, so that members of the U.S. military at an air base in Britain could take a tour of the new aircraft.
However, several U.S. media outlets, including The New York Times, as well as CNN, reported that the change in aircraft was prompted by a threat from forces acting on behalf of Iran.
How the operation unfolded
A video included in the Washington Post’s report shows a supply truck rolling off the older Air Force One aircraft, just minutes after Trump climbed the stairs to board.
The supply truck can then be seen moving a short distance toward the smaller C-32A aircraft.
After both aircraft landed in the United Kingdom, Trump was caught on video descending the stairs of the larger aircraft before heading toward the new, upgraded Air Force One. It was unclear how he had made his way back to the larger aircraft, the Post reports.
The White House’s Response
In response to questions regarding the Washington Post report, the White House issued a statement defending the security of the new aircraft.
“The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft, equipped with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff,” said Communications Director Steven Cheng in his statement.
“As the President recently stated, there are many enemies of America who have targeted him, and we are using every available means to counter these threats.”
The same statement was used by the White House last month as well, when questions about the aircraft’s safety first arose.
For decades, it has been rare for U.S. presidents to travel without being accompanied by members of the White House press corps, who serve as representatives of the American public. Journalists have traveled to war zones with many presidents, including Trump, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush.
Source: cnn.gr
