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The Secret Service advised President Trump not to leave the NATO Summit in Turkey on the newer Qatari-gifted Air Force One, according to a Wednesday report.
Sources familiar with the matter said the president flew out of Ankara on the older Air Force One model out of an abundance of caution for a potential threat from Iran, although none were explicitly identified, the New York Times reported.
The Secret Service referred The Hill to the president’s Truth Social post made earlier in the day when asked about the assessment from officials.
Trump wrote that the Qatari plane “was sent earlier to RAF Mildenhall, so we could show the wonderful Servicemembers, as per the entire Base’s request.”
“They were very excited, picture enclosed. It was on our way back to the States from Turkey, with virtually no deviation of flightpath,” he added.
Trump picked up the last leg of the trip on the newer plane during a stop at Mildenhall Air Force Base in Holywell Row, England.
The newer Air Force One in current active rotation is a modified commercial passenger jet from Boeing 747-8 gifted to Trump from Qatar.
Defense contractor L3Harris completed its conversion from a commercial vessel to a presidential plane in a10-month window, excluding several military modifications including the ability to refuel in mid-air.
It’s 18 feet and 4 inches longer than the older Air Force One, which retains a comprehensive, battle-tested Cold War defense suite and maintains the ability to blind an incoming antiaircraft missile.
Trump told the reporters the shift in travel plans was not due to a security concern.
However, he noted that journalists were on a “dangerous flight because of the sleazebags that we have to deal with” seemingly referencing Iran, who he called “scum” earlier in the day.
His flight from Ankara came a day after Iran and the U.S. renewed strikes on one another over conflict in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran shot at three vessels in the critical waterway on Tuesday, citing its control over the key shipping route.
Trump said the interim peace deal with Iran was virtually “over” and pledged that strikes on Iran would soon resume with plans to target civilian infrastructure.
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