Trump Secretly Left Turkey on Another Plane While the White House Said He Was Aboard Air Force One

The Washington Post reported on Aug. 10, 2026 that an Iranian assassination threat prompted an operation last month in which President Trump flew secretly out of Turkey on an alternate military aircraft while the White House said he was aboard Air Force One. The Post based the account on material it reviewed and a U.S. official, and reported that journalists and some White House staff believed they were on his plane. The Post subsequently reported that the CIA had "low confidence" in the Iranian threat before Trump switched planes.

Protective deception around a credible threat to a president is a recognized security practice, and the reporting does not establish that the movement itself was improper. At issue is the affirmative statement placing the president on an aircraft he was not on, made to reporters traveling with him, and the reported gap between it and the intelligence behind it.

No White House response is recorded in the material reviewed here. The Post's CIA follow-up was published Aug. 12, 2026.