US President Donald Trump on Thursday claimed that Iran constantly poses a threat to him and that he was “number 1” on the country’s target list.
His remarks were made aboard Air Force One plane after the reporters he was speaking with were instructed to close the window blinds next to their seats.
When one of the reporters asked Trump the reason for this directive, he replied: “Because you are probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with. These (Iranians) are sick people…,” Trump said.
Another media personnel asked Trump if he faces a threat from Iran, to which he said: “I have a threat all the time. I’m number one on their list, before you (addressing the reporters). But if I go, you go.” He also said the someday press may want to switch professions.
Trump’s surprise plane swap after NATO summit
Trump made the remarks during a media interaction aboard Air Force One. According to the Associated Press (AP), after attending the NATO Summit in Turkey, Trump flew partway home on the older, baby blue Air Force One aircraft instead of the new red, white, and navy blue jet, a Qatari-gifted and retrofitted plane, that he had arrived on.
Trump had flown to Ankara for the summit aboard the new Air Force One, a Boeing Co. 747-8, gifted by Qatar. However, that aircraft was sent ahead to Mildenhall Air Force Base in the UK before the president’s departure, Bloomberg reported. The US president then flew from Ankara to the UK aboard the older Air Force One.
The president reportedly said he was flying on the older legacy aircraft “for old time’s sake” and suggested that both planes would make an unscheduled stop at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, a US military base in the UK, on their return journey to the United States.
“We just landed and met up with our new Air Force One, which was sent earlier to RAF Mildenhall, so we could show the wonderful Servicemembers, as per the entire Base’s request,” the US President said on social media. “They were very excited.”
‘Ceasefire with Iran is over’
During his remarks at the NATO Summit on Wednesday, Trump declared that the ceasefire between the US and Iran was “over” as far as he was concerned. He subsequently ordered new strikes on Iran and warned of “much worse” consequences if Tehran continued attacking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
His latest comments about facing a threat from Iran “all the time” came after this announcement.
