Trump Cabinet Members Left on Decoy Plane After Secretly Exiting in Turkey
High-ranking officials and press pool remained aboard the initial aircraft while President Donald Trump covertly boarded a military flight using a catering truck.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Donald Trump secretly switched planes in Turkey last month amid security concerns involving Iran.
- Marco Rubio and Scott Bessent stayed aboard the decoy plane while Trump took a separate flight.
- Trump covertly hid on a catering truck to transition to a military aircraft undetected.
- Decoy ruses and shell games are standard high-security protocols utilized by the US Secret Service.
A high-stakes security maneuver unfolded last month during US President Donald Trump's trip to Turkey, where a secret plane swap was executed to evade potential security threats linked to Iran. While the president was covertly moved to a different aircraft, key cabinet members and traveling journalists remained on board the original decoy plane.
Reports indicate that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stayed aboard the aircraft widely believed to be Air Force One, missing out on the separate flight provided to Trump due to escalating security apprehensions.
The clandestine operation began on July 8 after Trump boarded the initial Air Force One alongside key officials and the press pool. The president then hid inside a catering truck to be secretly transported to a military plane. In this instance, the original aircraft retained the official call sign, effectively functioning as a decoy.
According to CBS News, the BBC's US partner, Rubio and Bessent remained on the first aircraft to preserve the constitutional line of succession in case anything happened to the president. Under US law, should the president die or become incapacitated, the Vice-President takes power, followed by the Speaker of the House, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Secretary of State, and subsequently the Treasury Secretary.
Other individuals who stayed on the designated decoy plane included White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and White House communications director Steven Cheung. Meanwhile, the second aircraft that flew President Trump out of Ankara also accommodated Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to US media sources.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
"They wanted me to go in a different flight."
Donald Trump
Speaking to reporters on a Monday night, Trump confirmed that the decision to execute the deception was orchestrated by the US military and the Secret Service, who directed him to take an alternate flight. The exact nature of the security threat remains unspecified, with Trump noting only that consequential presidents frequently receive numerous threats.
The deployment of decoy aircraft and deceptive motorcade tactics, often referred to as 'shell games' by Secret Service personnel, represents a longstanding protocol during high-risk international trips. Historical precedents include former President Bill Clinton's March 2000 flight to Islamabad, Pakistan, aboard an unmarked executive jet following a decoy aircraft. These elaborate operations underscore the extreme logistical measures taken to protect US leadership against unpredictable global threats.
It remains unclear how much the cabinet secretaries, military personnel, and members of the White House press pool knew about the operation, with reporters confirming they were unaware they were aboard a decoy flight at the time.
Source: BBC World
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