US President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday (local time) that he transferred from Air Force One to another aircraft during a recent summit in Turkey because of a “threat.” He said that he follows whatever guidance the Secret Service and the military provide.
Trump’s confirmation came just one day after reports detailed how the US President first switched from the Qatar-gifted Boeing 747-8 to an older Air Force One and then made a further secret transfer to a smaller C-32A aircraft.
Last month, it was reported that Trump had to replace the Qatar-gifted jet with an older Boeing owing to an alleged threat. A recent Washington Post report, however, revealed that the President switched planes yet again: he was discreetly taken out of the older Air Force One inside a catering container and then transferred to a smaller C-32A aircraft.
In the absence of any official statement from the White House or Trump regarding the plane switches, the US President has now confirmed the action.
Speaking to reporters after returning from Ohio, the US President said, “I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane. I do what they say. I guess there was a threat out there. I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats.”
Trump further said that he faces several threats of which the public is unaware, adding that any “consequential President has a lot of threats.”
“Non-consequential Presidents don’t get threatened, and I think I’m maybe the most consequential President.”
On the subject of threats, the US President said he does not worry about anything, remarking, “Whatever it is, you know my attitude? Whatever.”
However, the truth about Trump’s second plane switch remained unknown to some officials and the media until now. At the time, they believed he was still aboard the older Boeing 747.
Reporters travelling on the old aircraft out of Turkey were also reportedly instructed to keep their window blinds down.
