Trump Took Pete Hegseth on Secret Turkey Extraction While Top Officials Stayed Behind on Air Force One

A report claims US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was the only Cabinet secretary to accompany Donald Trump on a secret flight out of Turkey last month. The extraordinary operation was carried out amid a credible threat that Iran or its proxies could target the president's aircraft with a shoulder-fired missile.

Trump was attending the NATO summit in Ankara on 8 July. He had arrived aboard a new Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar. The aircraft had undergone about $400 million (£300 million) in modifications before entering presidential service.

Trump initially announced that he would instead leave Turkey aboard an older Air Force One aircraft. He said the switch was 'for old time's sake'. He also claimed US troops at RAF Mildenhall in Britain would have a chance to inspect the newer jet.

The real plan was far more elaborate.

After publicly boarding the older aircraft, Trump was secretly moved off it using an airport catering truck. He was then taken to a smaller, unmarked C-32A military aircraft. Hegseth boarded that aircraft separately.

Air Force One Became the Decoy

Trump was joined by a small group of trusted aides during the covert transfer. They included White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, executive assistant Natalie Harp and Oval Office operations director Walt Nauta.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Stephen Miller, communications director Steven Cheung and other senior officials remained aboard the publicly identified Air Force One.

The press corps was also left aboard.

That aircraft effectively became a decoy. It travelled to Britain while journalists and senior officials believed Trump was still on board. The C-32A carrying Trump and Hegseth flew separately. The operation was designed to make it harder for a potential attacker to identify the president's true aircraft.

The older Air Force One's transponder was also reportedly switched off for part of the journey. Such measures are normally associated with flights in high-risk areas.

The threat was reportedly linked to intelligence suggesting Iranian operatives could target Trump's aircraft. Some intelligence assessments questioned how credible the threat was. The Secret Service nevertheless chose to act.

Trump Defends the Decision

The details emerged weeks after the operation. Trump later confirmed that the military and Secret Service had ordered him to take the alternative aircraft.

Speaking to CBS News' Nancy Cordes, Trump said officials 'wanted me to go in a different flight'.

He said the decision was made because of a threat. He also argued that such risks were inevitable for a president.

'Any consequential president has a lot of threats,' Trump told reporters.

Asked why it was considered too dangerous for him to remain aboard Air Force One while journalists could stay there, Trump replied: 'I think, actually, the plane that I flew on was at greater risk.'

The episode has renewed scrutiny of the Qatar-donated aircraft. The older presidential jets possess sophisticated defensive systems, including technologies designed to detect and counter incoming missiles. Questions have been raised about whether the newer aircraft initially had the same capabilities.

The White House has since said the new Air Force One is safe but will receive further security upgrades. Trump is expected to continue using the older aircraft while that work is carried out.