Rubio and Bessent Stayed on Decoy Flight From Turkey as Trump Switched Planes, Official Says
Officials said a covert plane swap protected Trump from a possible Iranian missile threat while reporters and top Cabinet members stayed on the decoy aircraft.
- Following the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, President Donald Trump covertly swapped aircraft using a catering truck, leaving Air Force One to serve as a decoy while he flew separately on a government jet.
- U.S. officials initiated the maneuver after intelligence indicated a potential surface-to-air missile threat against the president's aircraft, prompting security teams to protect him during departure from the region.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained aboard the decoy aircraft with press corps members, who were instructed to keep window shades closed while unaware of the threat.
- On Tuesday, Trump defended the secret flight swap, telling reporters the military and Secret Service made the decision and claiming the maneuver was necessary for "equal safety."
- Once in England, the administration executed a second maneuver to restore appearances that Trump had traveled on the decoy plane, sparking criticism over prioritizing security over journalistic transparency.
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46 Articles
Rubio, Bessent stayed on decoy flight from Turkiye as Trump switched planes, official says
Trump was secretly moved to a smaller military jet after an Iranian threat during his return from the NATO summit in Türkiye. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained on a decoy aircraft, while journalists and some White House staff believed Trump was aboard.
The journalists accompanying the American president knew nothing about the deception.
The two top members of President Donald Trump's cabinet, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, left a summit in Turkey last month on board what ended up becoming a decoy plane, while the president was secretly transferred to a military plane after receiving an Iranian threat, revealed a federal official on Wednesday.The official, who was informed about the situation and spoke on condition of anonymity in exchange …
The Secret Service must protect the President of the United States at home and abroad, using absolute self-sufficiency and cunning methods.
Rubio, Bessent stayed on decoy flight from Turkiye as Trump switched planes: Official - The Tribune
The two most senior members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, flew out of last month’s NATO summit in Turkiye on what was effectively a decoy plane following an Iranian threat, while Trump was secretly moved to a smaller military jet, a senior US official said […]
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