President Donald Trump has confirmed reports that he secretly swapped planes during his official visit to Turkey last month due to concerns about a possible Iranian assassination attempt, revealing that the replacement aircraft he used actually carried more risk.
"I go with the Secret Service and the military's arrangement. They wanted me to travel on a different flight, a different plane. I just follow what they say," Trump told reporters.
"I think actually the plane I flew on was more at risk. I think it was more at risk because that's the plane I think they would have been more likely to target," the White House chief added.
According to U.S. media reports, the plane swap occurred on July 8 in Turkey's capital, Ankara. The president was moved between vehicles using a food truck and then boarded a military aircraft.
At the time, the White House released no information, and the secret remained undisclosed until the Washington Post published the story this week.
The Air Force One at that time still carried reporters and senior aides of Trump, who were unaware that the president had left the aircraft and still faced the risk of an Iranian attack.
