The video shows the vehicle later leaving the plane and heading towards a smaller Air Force C-32A (Credit: CBS)

A video has emerged showing the airport catering truck that was used to secretly move President Donald Trump between aircraft during a covert security operation in Turkey last month.The footage shows the truck pulling away from Air Force One shortly after Trump had boarded the presidential aircraft following the Nato summit in Ankara. Instead of remaining aboard the plane, Trump was secretly taken off through the catering vehicle and driven across the airport to a smaller US government aircraft. The operation allowed officials to make it appear that Trump was travelling on the presidential plane while he was, in fact, aboard another aircraft.Trump eventually flew to Britain aboard the smaller plane before secretly rejoining the presidential aircraft there. The operation, first reported by The Washington Post and later confirmed by other US media, has raised questions about the nature of the threat against Trump and the lengths officials were prepared to go to conceal his movements.

Air Force One became a decoy

Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard a luxury aircraft gifted to the US by Qatar, which was expected to eventually serve as Air Force One. However, concerns had been raised about the aircraft’s security capabilities because it was still being retrofitted and did not have some of the missile-detection and countermeasure systems found on older presidential aircraft.During the trip, officials announced that Trump would leave Turkey aboard an older presidential aircraft. That announcement appears to have been part of the deception.After Trump boarded the older plane, a catering truck approached the aircraft. The video shows the vehicle later leaving the plane and heading towards a smaller Air Force C-32A, a government aircraft commonly used for presidential travel. Trump was secretly transferred to the C-32A, while the aircraft he had initially boarded remained part of the operation.The Qatari aircraft, the older presidential plane and the C-32A then departed separately for Britain. Trump travelled aboard the C-32A and, after arriving in the UK, secretly transferred back to the Qatari aircraft before continuing his journey home.The move meant that White House officials, security personnel, support staff and members of the press travelling with Trump on the presidential aircraft were unknowingly aboard what effectively became a decoy plane.The White House has not directly confirmed the details of the operation, but it has not denied reports that the elaborate measures were prompted by an Iranian threat. White House communications director Steven Cheung said the president’s aircraft had high-level security protocols and that officials use “every tool at our disposal” to address threats against Trump.

Why the secret operation was unusual

Presidents have previously used decoy aircraft, undisclosed routes and surprise overseas trips when travelling to dangerous areas. Trump himself made a secret visit to Afghanistan in 2019, while George W. Bush made an undisclosed trip to Iraq in 2003 and Barack Obama travelled secretly to Afghanistan in 2010.Joe Biden also travelled secretly to Ukraine in 2023, taking a government aircraft to Poland before boarding an overnight train to Kyiv. A small number of journalists accompanied him and were able to document the visit once it was under way.There have also been previous instances of presidents switching aircraft. During Bill Clinton’s 2000 trip from India to Pakistan, reporters knew he would not be travelling on the aircraft they were initially watching, although they were not told which plane he would use.The Turkey operation was different because the press travelling with Trump was apparently unaware that the president had left their aircraft. The deception also remained undisclosed for weeks, meaning there was a period during which the travelling press corps could not independently verify Trump’s location.The operation also revived questions about the security of the Qatari aircraft that Trump has promoted as a future Air Force One. While officials have described it as highly capable, concerns over its retrofitting and defensive systems were reportedly a factor in the decision to use another aircraft for Trump’s immediate departure from Turkey.