Donald Trump reveals secret flight from Turkey was ‘at greater risk’ amid fears of assassination attempt
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the plane he flew on in Turkey instead of the Air Force One was at 'greater risk'
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the plane he flew on in Turkey instead of the Air Force One was at 'greater risk'. Last month, Trump took a secret military flight from Turkey after hiding in a catering truck and being shipped off the Air Force One in a move prompted by an Iranian assassination threat on him, as per a report by Washington Post. At the time, the White House had said that the president was boarding the Air Force One from Turkey where he had gone to attend a NATO summit. However, soon after, Trump left via the catering truck and boarded another aircraft, which first took him to Britain, as per the Post.
"I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk," Reuters quoted the US President as telling reporters after The Post broke the story. "I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think that they would be more likely to go for." However, he did not provide any explanation for the same. As to why he chose to board the other plane, Trump told CBS News, “They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane — equal safety,” adding, “They wanted me to do it, so I do it. I do what they say.” He then added, “I get a lot of threats.” The US President, for the NATO summit in Turkey, had boarded a jet gifted to him by Qatar which was then renovated by the US government.
However, then he announced out of the blue that the would be using another aircraft to depart from Ankara. This move has raised questions about the security of the new aircraft. Before his departure from the Turkish capital, Trump said on Truth Social that he would be travelling in an old baby blue Air Force One aircraft "for old time's sake". The White House had earlier refused to comment on the Washington Post report. Also Read | Oil rises toward $90 as fresh Trump demands cloud Hormuz deal “The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff.
As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said late Monday in a statement.
The BriefWire