Trump exits Turkey on secret jet swap as aides join him on smaller plane
TL;DR
Several close aides—Natalie Harp, Dan Scavino and Walt Nauta—joined Trump on a smaller jet after he left Air Force One during the NATO summit in Ankara, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also aboard. Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained on the larger Air Force One. Officials reportedly arranged the switch via a catering truck to minimize risk after a threat to the larger plane. Trump later downplayed the secrecy, saying he simply followed what Secret Service and the military wanted for safety.
- Shoulder-fired missile threat prompted Trump’s plane ruse, source says CNN
- With Trump Secretly Evacuated, Imperiled Air Force One Became a Flying Decoy The New York Times
- Close aides, but no Cabinet officials, joined Trump in airport catering truck The Washington Post
- First Thing: Anger after Trump’s secret flight swap appears to offer up staff and media as decoys The Guardian
- Why elaborate ruse Trump used in Turkey isn't like other secret presidential trips NBC4 Washington
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