Trump Confronted on Cowardly Air Force One Bait and Switch:
The president claimed that he faced a “greater risk” after his getaway on Air Force One in a catering ...
thedailybeast.com/trump-confronted-on-cowardly-air-force-one-bait-and-switch/
Photo: thedailybeast.com · view article
Trump Questioned Over Secret Air Force One Decoy FlightIn July, the president reportedly used an Air Force C-32A while journalists and staff remained aboard the former presidential aircraft.
Key FactsAug 12, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: thedailybeast.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: thedailybeast.com
- According to the report, a Secret Service operation in July moved Trump by catering van to a secret Air Force C-32A after an Iranian assassination threat, with only a few people aware of the switch.
- Journalists and White House staff aboard the former Air Force One believed they were flying with Trump, while the aircraft was reportedly used as a decoy.
- At Joint Base Andrews on Tuesday, August 11, after returning from the Patriot Games in Ohio, Trump said he had followed Secret Service and military instructions and that the secret aircraft may have faced greater risk.
- CNN chief political analyst David Axelrod said on Monday, August 10, that passengers should have been told about the reason at least afterward because a plane considered unsafe for Trump would also have been unsafe for them.
Any consequential president has a lot of threats. Non-consequential presidents don’t get threatened—and I think that I’m maybe the most consequential president.— Donald Trump; remarks to the media after the decoy flight at Joint Base Andrews, addressing threats against presidents.
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Key FactsWhite House Excludes Politico From Air Force One Press Pool
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Summary created with AI assistance · Source: thedailybeast.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: thedailybeast.com
- On Monday, October 5, Politico was excluded from the press pool traveling with Trump to Nebraska.
- Trump announced on September 18 that Politico, CNN, and MS NOW would be barred from the White House.
- Judge Timothy Kelly restored the organizations’ White House access for two weeks.
- A hearing before Judge Kelly on the lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday.
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Key FactsWashington Post: Trump Secretly Switched Planes via Catering Truck
Aug 12, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: thedailybeast.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: thedailybeast.com
- According to footage aired by CNN, Trump boarded Air Force One at 8:24 p.m., left it minutes later, and was taken at 8:30 p.m. by an elevated catering truck to a secret third aircraft, an Air Force C-32A.
- The Washington Post reported that the last-minute plane switch occurred because of an apparent Iranian assassination threat, without the knowledge of reporters aboard and some White House staff.
- According to the Post, the decoy operation concealed Trump’s location from many U.S. officials and the public for several hours.
- The Post reported that it remains unclear how Trump transferred from the smaller decoy aircraft back to Air Force One after landing in London, while CNN showed him disembarking shortly before 11 p.m. before the Qatar-gifted plane flew to the United States.
There was a hole in the public understanding here that needed to be clarified.— Dan Lamothe, National Security Reporter for The Washington Post, on The Source discussing the decoy plane story.
Donald Trump secretly exits Air Force One via a catering truck: Trump secretly smuggled out of Air Force One in a catering truck
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Key FactsReports say Trump was secretly moved from Air Force One
Aug 11, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: faz.net
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: faz.net
- According to reports by The Washington Post and The New York Times, Trump allegedly boarded the government aircraft on camera in Ankara after the NATO summit in July before being covertly taken by catering truck to a smaller U.S. military aircraft.
- The Washington Post reported that the public was meant to believe Trump had traveled throughout the trip on government aircraft, while some White House staff members reportedly did not know otherwise.
- Reports linked the maneuver to a threat emanating from Iran, and The Washington Post cited documents plus information from a U.S. official and another person; the White House did not directly comment.
- Media reports suggested that the newer government aircraft attributed to Qatar had not received all the older Boeing 747’s security features during expedited conversion, after which Trump announced plans to upgrade it.
I am the number one on Iran's death list.— Donald Trump, in Ankara, responding to a journalist's question about reports of an Iranian threat.
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Key FactsTrump reportedly flew secretly from Turkey to Britain
Aug 11, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: theguardian.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: theguardian.com
- According to the Washington Post, Trump first boarded the former Air Force One in view of cameras at the NATO summit in Ankara before being moved minutes later to a smaller aircraft via a catering truck.
- A US official told the Post that a credible Iran-related assassination threat prompted the deception operation, while Trump's location was concealed from journalists and some White House staff.
- The C-32A carrying Trump reached RAF Mildenhall at about 10.20pm local time, the former Air Force One and media arrived minutes later, and Trump stepped off the older aircraft at 10.56pm.
- The White House said in response that the Qatar-donated aircraft has high-level security protocols intended to protect the president and his staff.
As the president has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.— Steve Cheung, White House communications director, commenting on security measures and threats to the president; reported by The Guardian based on Post/Times reporting
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Key FactsReport: Trump allegedly switched planes after NATO summit
Aug 11, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: independent.co.uk
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: independent.co.uk
- The Washington Post reported that the plan was triggered by an Iranian threat against Trump’s life, based on documents and accounts from two people familiar with the trip.
- After publicly boarding the older Air Force One in Ankara, Trump reportedly moved shortly afterward via a catering vehicle to a smaller Air Force C-32A and flew it to Mildenhall.
- Several White House staffers and journalists were reportedly unaware of the maneuver and remained aboard the larger aircraft as unwitting decoys.
- After the brief stop at Mildenhall, Trump boarded the newly gifted Qatari aircraft for the onward journey to Washington, while the White House did not directly address the covert transfer.
But if I go, you go.— Said to the accompanying press aboard Air Force One at RAF Mildenhall after Trump was asked about credible Iranian threats.
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Trump Awkwardly Explains His Latest Iran Bait and Switch: The president was cornered on why he called off the “biggest” strikes since World War II.
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Key FactsTrump Attempts to Explain Another Cancellation of Iran Strikes
Aug 3, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: thedailybeast.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: thedailybeast.com
- On Friday, after what he described as a surprise Iranian attack during a temporary pause in the war, Trump announced strikes he called the biggest since World War II.
- On Saturday evening, he called off the planned attacks, which the Associated Press said was the eighth suspension of planned strikes during the five-month conflict.
- On Sunday, Trump said during a flight to Washington that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and specifically Iran had asked him to cancel the attacks.
- According to the article, 18 U.S. service members had died since the war began, while the Trump administration had sought to revise that figure.
I’m not looking to kill people, because people die. A lot of people die and we don’t want that.— Donald Trump; said during a gaggle with reporters on Air Force One en route to Washington, D.C., as he explained why he called off a planned attack on Iran.
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