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Donald Trump was reportedly smuggled out of Turkey aboard a secret military flight last month after security officials feared an Iranian assassination threat against the controversial US leader.
Trump had attended the NATO summit in Ankara back in July, and appeared to leave Turkey the following day aboard Air Force One.
But according to a new report, the president never actually completed the journey on his usual presidential aircraft.
Instead, after boarding Air Force One, Trump reportedly left the plane and was secretly transported across the tarmac inside a catering truck before being transferred to a smaller C-32A military jet.
The aircraft then flew Trump to RAF Mildenhall in England, according to reports cited by the BBC.
The operation was reportedly kept so closely guarded that journalists traveling with the president, and even some White House staff, were unaware that he had been moved from Air Force One.
The Washington Post reported that the extraordinary security operation was triggered by an Iranian threat against Trump's life.
After arriving in Britain, Trump transferred to a new Air Force One jet, which had been gifted to the US by Qatar, and continued his journey to Washington.
It was during that flight that reporters were able to speak with Trump, although he did not address the reported plane switch.
Instead, he discussed the security threats he claimed he was facing from Iran.
When reporters questioned why they had been ordered to keep their window shades down during the flight, Trump reportedly replied: “Because you're probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with.”
Trump went on to claim he faces a 'threat all the time' and said he was 'number one' on Iran's supposed 'list'.
He then appeared to warn the reporters travelling with him that they could potentially be caught up in any attack.
“But if I go, you go, right? Perhaps someday you want to change professions,” Trump said.
The White House has not officially confirmed the reported operation.
However, White House communications director Steven Cheung appeared to acknowledge the seriousness of the threats facing the president.
“As the president has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats,” he said.
Paul Eckloff, a former Secret Service special agent, said such an operation would be highly unusual but could have been prompted either by specific intelligence or an abundance of caution given the unstable geopolitical situation in the region.
“I would not say unprecedented, but it is an unusual occurrence,” Eckloff told The Associated Press.
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Donald Trump was reportedly locked out of the Situation Room during a critical mission due to concerns over his inappropriate behavior.
According to The Mirror, the situation took place on April 3 when an F-15 fighter jet was shot down over Iran.
While one crew member was quickly recovered, a second airman remained trapped behind enemy lines for more than 24 hours, prompting an urgent rescue mission.
The 79-year-old president allegedly reacted angrily upon learning two airmen were unaccounted for, with The Wall Street Journal stating he "screamed at aides for hours" in the West Wing.
"If you look at what happened with Jimmy Carter... it cost them the election," he allegedly said. "What a mess."
As the operation continued, Trump was not included in live Situation Room briefings. Top figures, such as Vice President JD Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, monitored the situation from the Situation Room, while Trump was instead briefed remotely.
"Aides kept the president out of the room as they got minute-by-minute updates because they believed his impatience wouldn't be helpful," a senior administration official said, noting he was updated "at meaningful moments" by phone.
Despite his absence from the command center, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted Trump had "remained a steady leader our country needs."
"President Trump campaigned proudly on his promise to deny the Iranian regime the ability to develop a nuclear weapon, which is what this noble operation accomplishes," she added.
The mission reached a turning point on April 4, when the stranded airman was successfully located and extracted by US forces.
Officials said the breakthrough came thanks to intelligence provided by the CIA, which pinpointed the pilot’s location.
"This was the ultimate 'needle in a haystack', but in this case it was a brave American soul inside a mountain crevice, invisible but for [the] CIA's capabilities," a senior administration official said.
The rescue mission comes as tensions between the US and Iran continue to escalate.
Trump recently issued a stark warning over a potential deal, writing: "We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran...NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!" per The Independent.
He later told Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst: "If they don't sign this deal, the whole country is going to get blown up."
Iran has since responded by withdrawing from further negotiations, and stating: "We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military."
Officials also confirmed Iran has "currently no plans to participate in the next round" of talks, citing "Washington’s excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the continuing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire."
Donald Trump's has announced that his new Air Force One will be taken out of service for one key reason.
The US President was only gifted the aircraft mere weeks ago by Qatar, but within the next month, it'll be temporarily removed from operation.
Questions were initially raised over the aircraft's defensive capabilities, but none of this was addressed by Trump, who proudly showed off the $400 million Boeing 747 earlier this month.
Nicknamed the "flying palace," the newest Air Force One enjoyed its first presidential flight in a trip to North Dakota.
Before taking off, Trump said of his new aircraft: “This will be the first flight of what I think is maybe the greatest commercial plane ever built.
“We’re going to the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library opening and that will be very good, that’ll be a lot of fun, but to be honest with you, I’m excited about the first flight.”
Trump explained that the aircraft was being sent away shortly, so it could undergo work within the next month, ensuring it will be "maxed out" with upgrades.
Upon arriving in Washington following the conclusion of Sunday's (July 19) World Cup Final, the President was asked why he was flying on the aircraft following reports it didn't have anti-missile defense systems.
The 80-year-old explained: “Well, it has – it has a lot, and you know it has a lot of capability, but as I understand it, in about a month or so, they’re going to send it to have it be maxed out.
“So they’re going to be sending it, and they’ll have it be maxed out. It’ll take about a month.”
He didn't expand on what the upgrades will be, but he suggested that it will bring the aircraft up to speed with the rest of the Air Force Ones in his fleet.
It should be noted that the Qatari-gifted plane was only given to Trump as a temporary "bridge" aircraft while Boeing completes two next-generation Air Force jets, which have long been delayed.
These aircraft are expected in 2028.
Trump's introduction of the new presidential plane featured a stark red, white, blue and gold paint scheme, as he was joined on board by members of his administration and family.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was also on board, sharing snaps of the new aircraft, including conference tables, televisions, a full presidential office with luxury furnishings.
Pictures from the journey also showed off a breakfast menu on board.
Trump told officials that the plane was modified and officials had “made it appropriate for a president” by ensuring that it had enhanced security technology and communications systems.
The temporary plane replaced an Air Force One that had been in service for almost 40 years, but when the new aircraft are complete, this will likely be sent to sit in the hangar.
President Donald Trump has arrived in Ankara for the NATO Leaders Summit, but one of the biggest talking points has nothing to do with diplomacy.
According to reports, every time Trump uses the bathroom during the trip, his waste will not be left behind in Turkey. Instead, it will reportedly be collected using his personal toilet system and transported back to the United States under Secret Service supervision. The claim has been widely reported by Turkish outlet Turkiye Today and has also been repeated by other outlets covering the visit.
While it might sound bizarre, the reported practice is said to be part of a long-standing presidential security protocol designed to stop foreign intelligence agencies from gaining access to the US president's biological material.
The reported policy exists to prevent anyone from analyzing the president's biological waste for intelligence purposes. Stool samples can potentially reveal details about a person's health, which is why presidential security teams are said to treat them as sensitive material. According to reports, Trump's waste will be collected and flown back to the US rather than entering a foreign sewage system.
This is not believed to be a new procedure. Reports claim that during a 2006 visit to Vienna, President George W. Bush followed similar security measures, with even his used toilet paper reportedly flown back to Ramstein Air Base in Germany before returning to the United States.
The practice also reportedly extends beyond the US. French investigative journalists Regis Gente and Mikhail Rubin have claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin's team collects his feces in special bags before flying them back to Russia. Reports have also linked the practice to claims that Joseph Stalin once had Mao Zedong's feces examined in an attempt to learn more about his health.
Trump's reported toilet system is just one part of an enormous security operation surrounding the NATO summit.
Reports say his presidential limousine has also been transported across the Atlantic, while the US delegation, made up of around 1,400 people, is expected to be the largest attending the summit. The delegation will stay in hotels next to the US Embassy, with Trump's hotel reserved exclusively for his team during the visit.
The unusual security arrangements have attracted plenty of attention, but according to reports, they are viewed as standard precautions for protecting a sitting US president while traveling overseas.
During the final leg of President Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK, his helicopter was forced to divert to Luton Airport after experiencing a "minor hydraulic issue".
The incident occurred as Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were making their way back to London from Chequers, the country residence of UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, on Thursday, as reported by BBC News.
There was never any danger to the President's life.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the aircraft carrying the president was diverted to a local airfield "out of an abundance of caution."
She noted that the president and First Lady "safely boarded the support helicopter" after the emergency landing.
The helicopters, which are specially adapted for presidential travel, are often equipped with high-tech security measures, including missile defense systems, radar jamming capabilities, and protection against electromagnetic pulses.
The problem occurred while Trump was traveling aboard Marine One, the presidential helicopter, which is a fleet of specially adapted aircraft with distinctive white tops.
These helicopters are often seen in a group to serve as decoys for security reasons, and are typically accompanied by Osprey MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft, known as "green tops," which carry additional security personnel and special forces.
The helicopters used for presidential travel, including Marine One, are designed to withstand a variety of threats, per the Independent.
They are fitted with technology to protect against missile attacks and other airborne dangers.
The group of helicopters typically traveling with the president includes decoys that can confuse any potential attackers, ensuring the president’s safety during high-profile trips.
While the White House did not provide specifics on the hydraulic issue, such problems are generally related to flight control systems, as hydraulic fluid is crucial in operating flight controls and landing gear, according to the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences.
Despite the diversion, the presidential itinerary continued as planned.
Trump’s state visit to the UK included meetings with key leaders, including a visit to Windsor Castle on Wednesday to meet King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
On Thursday, the Trumps were at Chequers, where Trump and Prime Minister Starmer held diplomatic talks.
Their meeting resulted in the signing of a new technology partnership agreement and a joint press conference addressing various global issues.
During the press conference, Trump and Starmer discussed topics including the ongoing war in Ukraine, the situation in Gaza, and illegal migration.
On the latter topic, Trump suggested that Britain could solve its immigration challenges by "calling in the military," a comment that highlighted the differences in their political stances.
Trump also expressed his disagreement with Starmer’s plans to recognize Palestinian statehood, a subject on which the Prime Minister is set to make a formal decision ahead of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Donald Trump has taken the first official flight on his new Air Force One - a $400 million luxury Boeing 747 donated by the government of Qatar that has been described as a 'palace in the sky'.
The President boarded the aircraft at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday for a flight to North Dakota, where he is attending the dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library as part of the America 250 celebrations.
"I'm excited about the first flight. Nobody's ever seen anything like it," he told reporters before boarding.
"Frankly, we couldn't build a plane like this because we wouldn't be willing to spend the kind of money necessary. They spent top dollars."
The aircraft is a Boeing 747-8i jumbo jet that was originally built as a VVIP private jet for the Qatari royal family.
French interior designer Yves Pickardt spent over three years on the project, taking his cues from superyachts and luxury apartments rather than anything you would normally see on a commercial aircraft.
It has around 4,000 square feet of interior space spread across two decks but carries just 89 passengers.
A commercial airline would fit between 360 and 460 seats into the same airframe.
That ratio tells you everything about what this plane was built for.
White House reporters who toured the jet described it as feeling "more like a house than a plane".
One noted: "Big, with warm tan walls. Glossy. Silver accents throughout. Solid wood tables. Presidential seal on every seat belt."
Two. The presidential suite sits in the nose of the aircraft - the quietest part of the cabin - and includes a master bedroom with a full-size bed, a guest suite, a private office that doubles as a dining room, and two full bathrooms with showers.
Behind the suites is a private lounge with seating for nine of Trump's inner circle.
The entire forward section has its own discreet entrance, separate from the rest of the cabin.
The main deck features a central lounge with 16 seats in stitched leather, wacapou veneer tables, and a wool-silk Tai Ping carpet.
There is a six-person settee, window-adjacent recliners, and a round table with six more seats.
A custom spiral staircase - designed and certified from scratch - leads to the upper deck, where the space is laid out more like a living room than an aircraft cabin.
It has bookshelves, a corner sofa, a large flat-screen TV, and eight plush seats arranged in a club configuration over coffee tables.
The jet has more than 40 televisions across both decks, including five 55-inch monitors and four 46-inch screens, plus Blu-ray players, live broadcasting capability, and full onboard connectivity.
Five galleys are spread throughout, capable of serving 100 meals simultaneously.
There are nine lavatories in total.
The interior features sycamore and African wacapou wood, stone finishes, natural leathers, and silk textiles throughout.
The two Boeing 747-200s that have served as Air Force One since 1990 are functional military aircraft.
The presidential bedroom on those planes is modest, the private office is utilitarian, and the aesthetic is restrained.
They carry around 70 passengers with far less personal space and none of the material richness found in the Qatari jet.
Trump used one of the old planes for the G7 summit in Europe last month and said it was likely its final presidential trip.
"We'll get them fixed up a little bit, not like this one, and we'll do museums, but they're great planes, they're great history," he said at the unveiling on June 19.
He has also called it "ridiculous" that the president had been flying decades-old aircraft and described the new jet as "the world's most luxurious plane".
The Air Force prioritised speed over a complete rebuild. The interior layout was left 'minimally changed', meaning most of the original Qatari luxury finishes remain intact.
What did change was under the surface.
The aircraft was fitted with secure voice and data links, classified satellite communications, upgraded internal networks, and cryptographic equipment.
A medical unit was added. The Arabic-language exit signs and contemporary artwork were removed. Presidential seals were placed on the walls and on every seatbelt.
The exterior was repainted in red, white, and blue - replacing the baby-blue-and-white colour scheme that had been on Air Force One since the Kennedy era.
Trump said the Qatari Emir asked him what colour he wanted.
"I said, 'I like the colour of the American flag.' Right? That makes sense."
One thing the jet lacks is sufficient refrigerator space.
Unlike the previous Air Force One, it cannot carry all the food needed for long-haul presidential travel, meaning military cargo jets will shadow it across the globe carrying supplies.
The aircraft itself is valued at approximately $400 million and was donated to the US Department of Defense as an 'unconditional' gift from the Qatari government.
However, the total cost is likely significantly higher.
The US government has spent an undisclosed sum on security modifications, classified communications systems, and crew training.
Aviation experts have estimated the full project could exceed $1 billion when all costs are factored in.
The Air Force also leased a separate 747-8 last year so pilots and maintenance crews could begin training on the new model, purchased a former Lufthansa 747-8, and built a full 3D mock-up of the interior for familiarisation training.
That is the question that has followed this story since Semafor first reported on the detailed specifications of the jet in May 2025.
Qatar is a gas-rich Gulf state that hosts a major US military base and has served as a mediator in talks with both Hamas and the Taliban.
It punches well above its weight diplomatically and gives generously to governments and causes worldwide, as well as financing the Al Jazeera television network.
Trump has described the gift as "a great gesture" that would be "stupid" to turn down, saying "only a fool" would refuse it.
The White House has called it "a very public and transparent transaction".
Critics disagree. The gift came just weeks after the Trump Organization announced a deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar in collaboration with a Saudi company and a firm owned by the Qatari government.
Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has also been in Doha for peace talks with Iran.
Donald Sherman, president of the government ethics watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, told MS NOW that the President "time and time again makes clear that he is willing to accept and actively seek gifts from foreign governments where the American people have significant national security interests".
"Some things the US government should simply pay for," he said, "and the president's plane is one of them."
He added: "Any student of history remembers that the Trojan horse was a gift, too."
This is not the first time Qatar has gifted a 747 to a NATO ally.
In 2018, Reuters reported that Qatar gave a 'luxury' jumbo jet to Turkey, drawing questions from opposition lawmakers.
President Erdoğan insisted at the time that it was "the plane of the Republic of Turkey, not my plane."
The jet has also drawn attention internationally.
During a meeting in the Oval Office in May 2025, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appeared to take a dig at Trump over the gift, telling him: "I'm sorry, I didn't have a plane to give you."
Trump's response was typically blunt: "I wish you did. I would take it."
The Boeing 747-8i was originally configured for the Qatari royal family.
Its tail number includes the letters HBJ - the initials of Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, a leading Qatari royal and former prime minister who posted on Instagram about visiting Trump at Mar-a-Lago back in 2018.
The jet was listed for sale through the Swiss firm AMAC Aerospace around 2020, with a 16-page specification document detailing its layout, manufacturers, and interior blueprint.
That document, which is still available on AMAC's website, provides the most detailed publicly available look at the aircraft's original configuration.
Trump said at the unveiling that the plane had just 800 hours of flight time, making it practically "brand new".
The jet is set to serve as a 'bridge' Air Force One until two purpose-built Boeing 747-8 aircraft - originally due in 2024, now expected in 2028 - are delivered.
After that, the Qatari jet will reportedly be transferred to Trump's presidential library foundation, meaning he will continue to use it after his term ends.
The question of who replaces Trump in 2028 is already generating significant discussion, but whoever takes office will not inherit this particular aircraft.
Trump has said the jet will lead a group of aircraft in a "flyover like no flyover" over the White House on July 4 to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
He has also confirmed the plane will carry him to the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, next month.
The America 250 celebrations have already generated headlines of their own this week, and the new Air Force One's July 4 flyover is likely to add another.
After that, the jet becomes the primary presidential aircraft for the remainder of Trump's second term - a $400 million flying mansion with a master bedroom, a spiral staircase, and a seatbelt with the presidential seal on it.
Whether you see that as smart diplomacy or something else entirely probably depends on how you feel about the man sitting in the master bedroom at 40,000 feet.
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