Trump snuck aboard plane in catering truck to elude Iranian assassination plot: Report

Published August 10, 2026 9:53pm ET



President Donald Trump was snuck aboard a separate military plane via a catering truck to fly back from Turkey last month in order to avoid an Iranian assassination plot, according to a report from the Washington Post.

The widely accepted narrative was previously that Trump boarded the old Air Force One to fly to the United Kingdom from Turkey rather than the Qatar-gifted jet that was to become Air Force One, which was in turn sent back for further security upgrades. A new report from the Washington Post, citing two people familiar with the matter, claimed that Trump was actually not on board either, but was instead snuck aboard an Air Force C-32A via a catering truck. The operation, meant to protect him from an Iranian threat, was carried out without the knowledge of most of those on board Air Force One, including officials and journalists, who remained oblivious.

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