Overview
- U.S. security officials executed a covert transfer on July 8 when President Trump left the NATO summit in Ankara by moving him from the visible presidential jet to a smaller C-32A while the larger Air Force One flew on as a decoy.
- The move was prompted by a reported threat that a shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missile could target the presidential aircraft and by reports that operatives knew Trump’s hotel location.
- CIA analysts told colleagues the warning was “Israeli-derived” and of low confidence, an assessment that did not stop the Secret Service from ordering the clandestine operation.
- The operation used a catering truck to conceal the transfer and left senior officials, staff, and journalists on the visible plane, raising questions about acceptable risk to others and internal decision-making.
- The episode has drawn congressional scrutiny, commentary about Israeli intelligence motives, and public mockery from Iranian state media as oversight debates continue.