US President Trump confirmed on the 11th that after attending the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, he secretly switched to a military aircraft to leave.
He noted that this was because the US Secret Service and military, considering potential threats, wanted him to take a different plane.
After returning from Ohio to Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, Trump told reporters: "I was escorted by the Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to take another plane... so I did. I think there was indeed some kind of threat, but I didn’t ask too much... I receive threats all the time."
He said: "I think the plane I took was actually more risky."
The Washington Post reported on the 10th that after attending the NATO summit in Turkey in early July, Trump secretly left on a US Air Force C-32A executive jet due to receiving a credible assassination threat, rather than taking the old presidential aircraft, "Air Force One."
On July 8, reporters from multiple media outlets photographed Trump boarding the old "Air Force One" at Ankara airport, but in fact he was secretly arranged to leave the plane by a catering transport vehicle and switched to the Boeing 757-converted executive jet C-32A. Afterwards, the old "Air Force One" carrying White House officials, security personnel, and reporters took off from Turkey to the UK.
After the two planes arrived in the UK, Trump secretly boarded the old presidential aircraft again and then walked down the gangway.
An anonymous US official said that the arrangement for Trump to switch planes was due to credible threats involving Iran.