Kathrine Frich
That casual response sparked outrage online.
Security teams plan for every possible crisis.
When the threat level spikes on foreign soil, the usual rulebook goes straight out the window. Protecting a top official often means leaving everyone else in the dark.
A sudden switch
After a NATO summit in Turkey, US intelligence detected an alleged assassination plot from Iran. The threat reportedly involved shoulder-fired missiles. His team executed a stealthy escape plan.
Instead of flying on Air Force One, he was moved into a catering truck. The vehicle took him to a smaller C-32A plane. Meanwhile, staff waited on the main aircraft.
Most passengers had no idea he was missing. The decoy plane took off without him. He was already gone.
Facing the danger
During a CNN interview cited by The Irish Star, Trump explained the rapid change of plans. He noted that the Secret Service and military made the final call.
“It’s all up to the Secret Service,” he said. “I just follow what they like to do. So I go by Secret Service, and the military. They wanted me to go on a different flight, different plane, equal safety.”
He added that he simply respects his security detail. “But they wanted me to do it so I do it. I do what they say,” he stated.
Greater risk
Asked if the smaller jet felt more secure, the president offered a surprising view. “Well, I don’t know, but actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk,” he told the network.
“I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane that I would think that they would be more likely to go for,” he noted.
The threat of a missile strike did not seem to rattle him. “I don’t worry about anything to be honest,” he said. “Whatever it is, you know my attitude, whatever.”
Defending the protocol
That casual response sparked outrage online. Critics on X expressed disbelief that he would leave his staff on a decoy plane.
One user called it a weak look. Another observer wrote, “He don’t worry. Because he would never take responsibility.”
White House spokesperson Steven Cheung defended the move on CNN. He noted that the main aircraft features advanced defense systems.
“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,” Cheung said.
Sources: The Irish Star, The Mirror US, CNN, X
