DOJ refers to Air Force One threat as ‘assassination attempt’ in ballroom appeal
Officials said the switch used a catering truck and a decoy aircraft to protect Trump from a credible Iran-related threat.
- On July 1, 2026, security officials covertly transferred President Donald Trump from Air Force One to a smaller C-32A military aircraft in Ankara, Turkey, using an airport catering vehicle to mask his movement while the Boeing 747 departed as a decoy.
- Security officials implemented the deception following a credible Iran-related missile threat to Air Force One during Trump's departure from the NATO summit. The operation aimed to protect the president by concealing his actual movements from potential attackers.
- Social media users mocked the operation by dubbing the vehicle "Cart Force One" and referencing "TACO," short for "Trump Always Chickens Out." Trump confirmed, "They wanted me to go on a different flight, different plane," while reports clarified he traveled in an airport catering truck, not a trolley.
- The operation successfully misled journalists and White House staff aboard the decoy aircraft, which departed Turkey as they remained unaware Trump had switched planes. Iranian messaging seized on the event, portraying the president as a "coward" hiding in a food cart.
- Amid intense tensions between Washington and Tehran following U.S. military strikes on Iran, intelligence agencies continue navigating the complexities of vetting threats against presidential security. The operation underscores persistent Iranian retaliation concerns tied to past U.S. actions in the region.
12 Articles
12 Articles
'Worry about his own security' - Iranian lawmaker threatens Trump
Senior Iranian lawmaker makes thinly veiled threat against President Trump, suggesting he “worry” about his personal safety. By World Israel News Staff A senior Iranian lawmaker has taken a swipe at President Donald Trump’s personal security after Trump threatened to declare the Strait of Hormuz American territory, invoking the president’s secret evacuation from Turkey last month amid fears of an assassination attempt. Ebrahim Azizi, who heads t…
Didn’t sign up to protect Trump: Journalists slam White House over POTUS’ secret plane swap
By concealing the president’s decoy manoeuvre, many journalists said the White House violated a core agreement with the press corps, which is charged with accurately accounting for the movements of the US president.
Trump issued fierce 'lesson' on 'humiliating' catering truck fiasco: journalist
Journalist and ex-MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan says there's a hard lesson buried in Trump's secret escape from Air Force One during a recent Turkey stopover, and it has everything to do with who's been feeding him intelligence on Iran.Hasan cited reporting from Reuters' Eric Banco, who wrote that the U.S. has received Israeli warnings over the past year that Iran intended to assassinate Trump, including one before Trump was secretly moved off Air Forc…
Iran Trolls 'Coward' Trump After Secret Plane Move, Suggesting He Hid in a Cart With Tacos and Coke Drinks
Iran has mocked Donald Trump over a secret security operation that saw the US president covertly transferred from Air Force One in Turkey to a smaller military jet, suggesting he had hidden in a catering vehicle during the escape. The taunt came after reports revealed that Trump was moved between aircraft because of a credible Iranian threat to his safety. The move took place after Trump attended a NATO summit in Ankara in July. Publicly, the pr…
Iran Tried to Assassinate President Trump With a Sniper: Report
Iran allegedly explored multiple methods of assassinating President Donald Trump, including shooting him with a sniper, stabbing him during a public appearance and potentially targeting Air Force One with a shoulder-fired missile, according to a new report. Israeli officials reportedly provided US intelligence agencies with multiple warnings over the past year claiming Tehran was examining...
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