President Donald Trump is facing criticism for using the press and others aboard Air Force One as decoys last month when he faced a threat from Iran ― all while reportedly dodging that threat himself.
The Washington Post and The New York Times on Monday reported that last-minute travel changes on July 8, as the president left a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, were far more extensive than the public had been led to believe.
Trump had arrived in Turkey on his new plane, a $400 million gift from Qatar. On departure, however, he sent that plane ahead to a U.S. military base in the United Kingdom. Trump, his staff and the media then boarded an older Air Force One plane.
But Trump was not on that older Air Force One plane when it took off.
Right after boarding, he hid in a catering container truck, which took him to a third aircraft ― a U.S. military C-32A ― while the press and some of his staff stayed aboard the previous Air Force One, all while letting them remain under the impression that he was aboard as well.
Once all three planes were on the ground in the U.K., Trump secretly returned to the older Air Force One aircraft and exited as if he had been there the whole time. Everyone then returned to the Qatar-gifted jet to complete the journey back to the United States, according to the reports.
Trump not only didn’t disclose the ruse to the media on the plane he left behind, but later made light of the situation when reporters asked why they had to keep the shades down when the plane was in Turkey. He said it was because they had been aboard a “dangerous flight” due to the threats he was facing from Iran.
“But if I go, you go. Right?” Trump said. “So perhaps someday you want to change professions.”
Critics called out the president for placing the press and others aboard the original plane at risk while dodging the danger himself via his catering truck swap: