President Donald Trump stated Tuesday night time that his secret flight out of Turkey final month, which employed a passenger-filled “decoy” Air Drive One, was the work of the Secret Service and the U.S. navy.
“It is solely as much as Secret Service. I simply comply with what they’d love to do,” Trump informed reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews following a visit to Ohio.
“So I’m going by Secret Service and the navy. They wished me to go on a special flight, a special aircraft. Equal security. However they wished me to do it, so I do it. I do what they are saying,” Trump stated of the plan to secretly change from Air Drive One to a different aircraft.
President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media after disembarking Air Drive One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, August 11, 2026.
Jim Watson/AFP by way of Getty Photos
As first reported by The Washington Submit on Monday, Trump secretly transferred from the previous Air Drive One to a navy plane by way of a catering container, sources informed ABC Information, an elaborate ruse that was carried out with out the data of the touring press and even some White Home officers aboard the decoy flight.
Sources acquainted with the matter informed ABC Information that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had been on the “decoy” Air Drive One.
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth was on the opposite aircraft flying with the president, sources stated.
All three Cupboard members had been conscious that Trump had secretly switched from the previous Air Drive One jet to the navy plane given the menace, sources stated.
Requested Tuesday night time if he knew a couple of particular menace on the time, Trump brushed it off.
“I suppose there was a menace on the market. I did not actually ask an excessive amount of about it. I get quite a lot of threats,” Trump stated.
When requested concerning the security of the decoy Air Drive One jet, Trump claimed that he was at larger threat on the opposite aircraft.
President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media after disembarking Air Drive One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, August 11, 2026.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP Picture
“I feel really the aircraft that I flew on was at larger threat,” Trump stated. “I feel it was at larger threat as a result of that might be the aircraft I feel that we — that they might be extra more likely to go for.”
Trump publicly acknowledged on the time that he could be flying on the previous Air Drive One and never flying on the brand new Qatari-gifted Air Drive One jet as a result of he was sending it to a base within the U.Ok. so service members might tour it.
ABC Information reported on the time that Trump was advised not to take the plane resulting from safety considerations amid escalations with Iran.
On the Air Drive One flight that was believed to be carrying Trump, reporters on board had been informed that the home windows wanted to be closed the entire flight and that it was a mandate from the Secret Service. Air Drive One, regardless of the president not being on board, in accordance with the Submit, had its transponder turned off.
In a press release to ABC Information concerning the Submit’s reporting, the White Home stated, “Because the President has stated just lately, there are various enemies of America who’ve their sights on him, and we use each software at our disposal to handle these threats.”
ABC Information’ Jonathan Karl and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
