An apparent Iranian threat, an airport catering truck and a decoy plane. These are the bizarre details of the plot to sneak President Trump out of Turkey after a NATO summit in July. Jacob Soboroff takes us (literally) inside the ruse.
While President Trump was switching planes due to an Iranian threat, some of his Cabinet officials were left behind on Air Force One including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Trump instead took his aides Natalie Harp and Dan Scavino with him, according to a U.S. official granted anonymity to share details of the clandestine mission. Katy Tur has more details.
AI:In a high-stakes maneuver driven by an Iranian threat, President Trump executed a clandestine flight switch, leaving several key Cabinet members behind on Air Force One while he relocated to a different aircraft for security. While mainstream reports focus on the departure of officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent from his immediate vicinity, the President prioritized his most trusted inner circle, ensuring Natalie Harp and Dan Scavino were by his side during the transition. This tactical decision highlights the heightened security posture required as tensions with the Iranian regime continue to escalate following previous assassination attempts against the President.Open
While leaving Turkey after the NATO summit in July, President Trump boarded Air Force One and then was secretly transported off the plane and into a catering van before boarding a military plane. The Washington Post reports the incident happened due to a threat from Iran. Nicolle Wallace is joined by Maggie Haberman for analysis on Deadline White House. Plus, Pentagon Reporter for The Washington Post Dan Lamothe, who broke this story, MS NOW Senior Investigative Reporter Carol Leonnig, former FBI Counterterrorism Senior Executive Christopher O'Leary and Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass join Katy Tur to discuss.
Trump reportedly underwent an elaborate plan to hide his flight from Turkey to the United Kingdom last month using a catering food truck and a military aircraft
The killing of Iran’s supreme leader and other top Iranian officials came after close intelligence sharing between the United States and Israel, according to people familiar with the operation.