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See the full story · 16 sourcesPolitics Trump says he was at 'greater risk' on secret flight than decoy Air Force One Trump said the switch was the decision of the Secret Service and the military.
Trump said that his secret flight out of Turkey last month using a "decoy" Air Force One was the work of the Secret Service and the U.S. military. President Donald Trump said Tuesday night that his secret flight out of Turkey last month, which employed a passenger-filled "decoy" Air Force One, was the work of the Secret Service and the U.S. military.
"It's only up to Secret Service. I just follow what they'd like to do," Trump told reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews following a trip to Ohio.
"So I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane. Equal safety. But they wanted me to do it, so I do it. I do what they say," Trump said of the plan to secretly switch from Air Force One to another plane.
As first reported by The Washington Post on Monday, Trump secretly transferred from the old Air Force One to a military aircraft via a catering container, sources told ABC News, an elaborate ruse that was carried out without the knowledge of the traveling press and even some White House officials aboard the decoy flight.
Sources familiar with the matter told ABC News that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were on the "decoy" Air Force One.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was on the other plane flying with the president, sources said.
All three Cabinet members were aware that Trump had secretly switched from the old Air Force One jet to the military aircraft given the threat, sources said.
Asked Tuesday night if he knew about a specific threat at the time, Trump brushed it off.
"I guess there was a threat out there. I didn't really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats," Trump said.
When asked about the safety of the decoy Air Force One jet, Trump claimed that he was at greater risk on the other plane.
"I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk," Trump said. "I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think that we -- that they would be more likely to go for."
Trump publicly stated at the time that he would be flying on the old Air Force One and not flying on the new Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet because he was sending it to a base in the U.K. so service members could tour it.
ABC News reported at the time that Trump was advised not to take the plane due to security concerns amid escalations with Iran.
On the Air Force One flight that was believed to be carrying Trump, reporters on board were told that the windows needed to be closed the whole flight and that it was a mandate from the Secret Service. Air Force One, despite the president not being on board, according to the Post, had its transponder turned off.
In a statement to ABC News regarding the Post's reporting, the White House said, "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."
ABC News' Jonathan Karl and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
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