Trump's cabinet members stayed on decoy plane during Turkey exit

Two members of former President Donald Trump's cabinet were aboard a decoy plane during his secretive departure from Turkey last month. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained on what was believed to be Air Force One while Trump was clandestinely transported to a different military aircraft amid security concerns related to Iran.

The incident occurred on July 8, shortly after Trump attended a NATO summit. Reports indicate that the decision to switch planes was made by the U.S. military and the Secret Service, who were concerned about potential threats. Trump entered Air Force One with Rubio, Bessent, and members of the press but later concealed himself in a catering truck to transfer to another airplane. This maneuver left the initial aircraft, which retained its Air Force One call sign, as a decoy.

Other officials who stayed on the first aircraft included White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Communications Director Steven Cheung. The second plane that took Trump out of Ankara also included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The specific nature of the security threat remains unclear, with Trump only stating that he receives "a lot of threats" as a former president. He emphasized that this kind of protective measure is standard for consequential leaders.

Operations like these are not unusual in high-risk scenarios. The Secret Service often employs ruses, known as "shell games," to enhance security. Similar tactics have been used in the past, including during Bill Clinton's presidency when he was flown to Pakistan on an unmarked jet to avoid detection. The secrecy surrounding such operations often means that not all officials or journalists are aware of the changes being made until after the fact.