New York, August 11: President Donald Trump traveled from Turkey to Britain discreetly aboard a military aircraft. According to U.S. media reports, this was done for security reasons. Publicly, Trump boarded Air Force One, but his actual journey to Britain was on a military plane.
Reports indicate that after boarding Air Force One in Turkey, Trump was secretly transported in a food truck to another military aircraft. This was due to credible security threats against his official plane.
The Washington Post reported that last month, Trump publicly boarded Air Force One in Ankara amidst media presence. Shortly after, he and several key aides were seen getting into a catering truck parked near the aircraft.
According to The New York Times, Trump was then taken from the food truck to a car connected to the lower part of the plane. From there, he was flown to the U.S. on a small C-32A military jet.
Both newspapers cited unnamed officials stating that Trump and his close aides traveled to RAF Mildenhall in Britain on this military aircraft. They then boarded a plane gifted by Qatar for the next leg of their journey back to the U.S.
Meanwhile, other officials and journalists who were on Air Force One arrived in Britain on the older aircraft and later joined Trump. They were unaware that Trump had switched planes.
Journalists on board reported that they were instructed to keep the window shades closed during the flight.
The White House neither confirmed nor denied these reports. However, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung indicated that there were security challenges during the president’s travel that required special arrangements.
He stated, “As the president has recently mentioned, many of America’s enemies want to target him, and we utilize every resource available to address those threats.”
A similar incident occurred during Trump’s return from the NATO summit in Ankara on July 8. Trump was using a plane gifted by Qatar for his trip to Ankara, which he often praised for its luxurious features. However, the Secret Service and other security agencies believed that the hastily made technical changes to the plane did not provide the same level of security as the older Air Force One aircraft.
As a result, Trump was first transferred to the older Air Force One, and the Qatari plane was sent to Britain. He was then taken to the military jet.
Trump stated that he sent the Qatari plane to Britain because American troops stationed there wanted to see it. However, reports suggest that the real reason was the credible threats identified by security agencies. It was noted that the Qatari aircraft lacked missile defense systems and special wiring to protect against electromagnetic attacks, which are present in older Air Force One planes.
It appears that later, the Secret Service and other security officials also concluded that the older Air Force One was not sufficiently secure. Therefore, the decision was made to transport Trump secretly on a military jet, which is a version of the Boeing 757 but lacks the luxurious amenities Trump is known for.
When The New York Times published a report on the security shortcomings of the Qatari aircraft, the U.S. Justice Department issued subpoenas to reporters and their relatives, even summoning the mother of one journalist for their phone records.
Officials defended these unusual subpoenas by stating that their aim was to identify those who leaked confidential information, claiming it jeopardized national security. However, following increased criticism, these subpoenas were later rescinded.
Allegations of information leaks indirectly confirmed the security concerns that Trump and officials had previously denied. Trump stated that the aircraft was being retired for extensive technical upgrades.
Both the older Air Force One and the Qatari aircraft, which is intended to be used as a future Air Force One, are different variants of the Boeing 747.
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