Trump's secret Air Force One switch had a hidden twist involving his top officials

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump secretly flew on a different aircraft from the publicly identified Air Force One, while senior officials were split between the two planes.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stayed on the decoy aircraft, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew secretly with Trump.

The covert flight came as Trump left Ankara after the NATO summit, following a security decision he later said was made by the military and Secret Service, CBS News reported on Wednesday, August 12.

Marco Rubio, Scott Bessent and aides split between two planes

Rubio and Bessent knew Trump was aboard another aircraft, according to sources familiar with the situation, while they remained on the publicly identified Air Force One, the outlet said.

The two Cabinet secretaries also separated and maintained the line of succession during the flight.

Several other White House aides were also on the decoy plane, the report said.

Hegseth, meanwhile, was among the officials who secretly traveled with Trump. White House aides Natalie Harp, Walt Nauta and Dan Scavino were also on the undisclosed flight.

The press and other staff traveled toward a British refueling stop believing they were aboard the same aircraft as Trump.

Trump links covert plane switch to threat

Trump announced on July 8 that he would leave Ankara on the old Air Force One instead of the newer Qatari-donated plane he had taken to the NATO summit.

He said he was switching planes “for old time’s sake” and that US forces at a British refueling stop could inspect the newer aircraft. 

CBS News reported that the Secret Service had advised Trump to take the older plane for security reasons.

With the help of a catering truck, Trump covertly moved from the publicly identified Air Force One to the other aircraft.

Trump later told CBS News’ Nancy Cordes that the military and Secret Service made the decision because they “wanted me to go in a different flight.”

He said the move was in response to a threat, which he described as unsurprising because he gets “a lot of threats.”

“Any consequential president has a lot of threats,” Trump told reporters.

When asked why it was too dangerous for him to fly on Air Force One but not members of the press, Trump said, “I think, actually, the plane that I flew on was at greater risk.”

The secret flight was revealed later

Video footage showed Trump walking up the stairs of the old Air Force One before disappearing inside, with a catering truck visible on the other side.

The truck later drove to another US government plane, which the Washington Post reported was an Air Force C-32A. 

The Post first reported the secret flight, which had not been publicly disclosed.

Trump flew from Ankara to the United Kingdom on the separate aircraft, while the press and other staff remained on the decoy flight.

While in Ankara, reporters said they were told to keep the window shades in the press cabin closed.

Trump later said they were “probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags that we have to deal with.”

In the United Kingdom, Trump switched to the newer Air Force One and spoke with reporters while flying toward Washington, DC. 

The White House said in July that the Qatari-donated aircraft would undergo security upgrades, which Trump said would be “maxed out.”