According to a report by The Washington Post on the 10th, U.S. President Trump, during his visit to Turkey last month, faced assassination threats from Iran and, under arrangements by security personnel, secretly hid in a catering container and switched to a smaller plane to fly to the UK, successfully avoiding public attention.
The report, quoting an anonymous U.S. official, stated that on July 8, Trump boarded the old Air Force One in Ankara, then immediately transferred into a catering container connected to the aircraft. This container then transported him to a smaller C-32A military aircraft, which flew him to the UK, while the on-site media and some officials were misled, thinking that Trump was still on the original large aircraft.
At the time, Trump was in Ankara to attend the NATO Summit. To conceal his real movements, the U.S. side deployed three aircraft. When Trump traveled to Turkey, he was on a newly gifted Boeing 747-8 from Qatar, which is the new Air Force One. However, this plane left Ankara for the UK in the evening of July 8 ahead of time, without Trump onboard.
Later at dusk, Trump, riding in a motorcade, arrived at the old Air Force One, walked up the boarding stairs and waved to the cameras in front of a large group of photographers, creating the illusion that he was about to depart on that plane.
He publicly claimed that the reason for switching to the older model Boeing 747 was to allow U.S. troops stationed in the UK to tour the new Boeing 747-8, gifted by Qatar.
However, media outlets such as The New York Times pointed out that the threat from Iranian proxy forces was the real reason for the last-minute plane change. In addition, reporters accompanying Trump were instructed to lower their window shades upon takeoff, a precaution usually taken only in war zones.
Afterwards, Trump boarded the new Air Force One, which had arrived in the UK earlier, and returned to Washington.
During his return to the U.S., Trump did not disclose the deception operation when questioned by reporters. When asked why reporters were told to lower the window shades before taking off from Turkey, he only said that it “might be a dangerous flight,” claimed that he is “always under threat,” and even said he is “number one” on Iran's assassination list.