Video shows catering truck used to secretly move Trump between planes amid Iran threat
The video shows the vehicle later leaving the plane and heading towards a smaller Air Force C-32A (Credit: CBS) Air Force One became a decoy
The video shows the vehicle later leaving the plane and heading towards a smaller Air Force C-32A (Credit: CBS) Air Force One became a decoy Why the secret operation was unusual A video has emerged showing the airport catering truck that was used to secretly move President Donald Trump between aircraft during a covert security operation in Turkey last month.The footage shows the truck pulling away from Air Force One shortly after Trump had boarded the presidential aircraft following the Nato summit in Ankara. Instead of remaining aboard the plane, Trump was secretly taken off through the catering vehicle and driven across the airport to a smaller US government aircraft. The operation allowed officials to make it appear that Trump was travelling on the presidential plane while he was, in fact, aboard another aircraft.Trump eventually flew to Britain aboard the smaller plane before secretly rejoining the presidential aircraft there. The operation, first reported by The Washington Post and later confirmed by other US media, has raised questions about the nature of the threat against Trump and the lengths officials were prepared to go to conceal his movements.Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard a luxury aircraft gifted to the US by Qatar, which was expected to eventually serve as Air Force One.However, concerns had been raised about the aircraft's security capabilities because it was still being retrofitted and did not have some of the missile-detection and countermeasure systems found on older presidential aircraft.During the trip, officials announced that Trump would leave Turkey aboard an older presidential aircraft.
That announcement appears to have been part of the deception.After Trump boarded the older plane, a catering truck approached the aircraft. The video shows the vehicle later leaving the plane and heading towards a smaller Air Force C-32A, a government aircraft commonly used for presidential travel. Trump was secretly transferred to the C-32A, while the aircraft he had initially boarded remained part of the operation.The Qatari aircraft, the older presidential plane and the C-32A then departed separately for Britain. Trump travelled aboard the C-32A and, after arriving in the UK, secretly transferred back to the Qatari aircraft before continuing his journey home.The move meant that White House officials, security personnel, support staff and members of the press travelling with Trump on the presidential aircraft were unknowingly aboard what effectively became a decoy plane.The White House has not directly confirmed the details of the operation, but it has not denied reports that the elaborate measures were prompted by an Iranian threat. White House communications director Steven Cheung said the president's aircraft had high-level security protocols and that officials use "every tool at our disposal" to address threats against Trump.Presidents have previously used decoy aircraft, undisclosed routes and surprise overseas trips when travelling to dangerous areas.
The BriefWire