By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-11 02:49:20 | Updated at 2026-08-11 03:10:04
27 minutes ago
President Donald Trump was reportedly smuggled off Air Force One in a catering cart last month as part of an elaborate ruse to foil potential Iranian assassination threats.
The commander-in-chief had traveled to Turkey for last month's NATO summit onboard a 747-8 donated by Qatari officials, which the Trump administration has spent vast sums of money improving for security.
But as the summit concluded, Trump announced he would not take the newly-outfitted plane - and would instead take an older model for 'old time's sake.'
Trump was then seen boarding the older-model plane that was set to transport him to a United States military base in the UK as cameras rolled at an airport in Ankara.
Behind the scenes, though, Trump was taken by a food cart that had been fitted to the belly of the plane, a senior official familiar with the plot told The New York Times.
He was then transported to a smaller Air Force C-32A plane via an airport catering truck that is typically used to load meals and other supplies to Air Force One ahead of the president's flight, according to the Washington Post.
Trump then reportedly traveled onboard the smaller plane in secret to the UK due to a credible threat against the president and Air Force One from Iran.
President Donald Trump was reportedly smuggled off Air Force One in a catering cart in a ruse due to the threat of an assassination from Iranian officials
A catering truck was visibly parked on the opposite side of Air Force One after Trump boarded the plane on July 8
The report comes weeks after White House Communications Director Steven Cheung first suggested administration officials engaged in subterfuge as Trump was departing the summit.
'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 - including distraction and misdirection - to address those threats,' Cheung previously told The Times.
The statement suggests administration officials viewed the Iranian threat as credible, taking extreme precautions to ensure the president's safety.
But the threats were not directed at the Qatari-donated jet itself, as Cheung denied that the plane posed a security risk.
'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,' he said in a statement to the Washington Post.
The Daily Mail has also reached out to the White House for comment.
