Trump devised plan to leave Turkey after meeting due to fear of Iran danger.

Last month, at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, President Donald Trump made a discreet exit from the event. According to a report by The Washington Post, he flew out on a different military aircraft than the one that was publicly announced. This was due to a potential threat of assassination by Iran, which prompted the White House to take extra precautions.

The operation was carried out while journalists and some White House staff members were led to believe that they were on the same plane as the President. Little did they know, Trump was already on his way back to Washington on a separate aircraft. The Post cited information from various sources, including a U.S.

official and someone familiar with the President's travel. However, the Associated Press has not yet confirmed the report. Initially, Trump had flown to the summit in a new Qatari-gifted jet, which had been specially retrofitted with a striking red, white, and navy blue design.

However, before departing from Turkey, he announced that he would be flying partway back to Washington on an older-model Air Force One aircraft. He explained that the new jet would be flown out early so that U.S. troops stationed in England could get a chance to see it.

As the reporters boarded the old Air Force One jet, they were unaware of the secret operation that was taking place behind the scenes. Trump was secretly shuttled to a smaller plane, an Air Force C-32A, in just a matter of minutes. This was done using an airport catering truck, which is typically used to load supplies.

From there, he flew to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. When questioned about the Post's report, White House communications director Steven Cheung stated that the President has many enemies, and they use every available tool to address any potential threats. The U.S.

Secret Service and the Air Force, who are responsible for the executive travel fleet, both declined to comment. There were already concerns about the safety of the new jet, especially after the U.S. military conducted a series of large strikes in Iran while Trump was in Turkey.

The New York Times and CBS News had previously reported that intelligence officials were worried about a possible attack on the President or his plane. This led to the decision not to use the new aircraft for the first leg of Trump's journey back from Ankara. The new Post report reveals the extent to which U.S.

security officials were concerned about the threat against Trump during the ongoing tension with Iran. Paul Eckloff, a former Secret Service agent, stated that this move could either be a result of actionable intelligence or a precautionary measure due to the volatile situation in the region. According to the Post, Trump and a few aides used an airport catering truck to exit the plane without being seen by anyone not involved in the operation.

This truck was then elevated using hydraulics and positioned at a door on the other side of Air Force One's entrance. The small group of reporters who thought they were traveling with the President were asked to lower their window shades for takeoff. Once they arrived at Mildenhall, news photographers captured images of Trump getting off the plane, suggesting that he had reboarded Air Force One out of sight of the reporters.

Senator Richard Blumenthal has called for a congressional investigation into the incident, calling it "unprecedented" and "downright scary." After a brief visit to the base at Mildenhall, Trump boarded the new Air Force One aircraft to complete the rest of his journey to Washington. During a conversation with reporters on the plane, he was asked about the potential threat from Iran. Trump responded by saying that he is always a target and joked with the reporters, "If I go, you go."