Trump Secretly Left Turkey Amid Reported Iranian Threat, Report Says

President Donald Trump secretly departed Turkey last month on an alternate military aircraft, while the White House staged a ruse to make it appear he was traveling on Air Force One, The Washington Post reported Monday. The operation was reportedly prompted by an Iranian assassination threat against the president.

The newspaper's report, citing materials reviewed by the paper and U.S. officials, stated that journalists and some White House staff were led to believe they were on the same plane as the president as he began his journey back to Washington from the NATO summit in Ankara. The Associated Press has not independently confirmed the report.

Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard a new, Qatar-gifted jet. However, ahead of his departure, he stated he would fly partway home on an older Air Force One model, claiming the new jet would be inspected by U.S. troops in eastern England. Before cameras in Ankara, Trump boarded the older Air Force One.

According to The Post, after boarding the legacy Air Force One, Trump was secretly shuttled minutes later via an airport catering truck to a smaller Air Force C-32A aircraft. He then flew on this smaller jet to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. The White House did not directly respond to questions about the reported covert operation. White House communications director Steven Cheung stated that the U.S. addresses threats against the president with every tool at its disposal, amid reports that intelligence officials had raised concerns about a potential attack.