President Trump on Tuesday made his first public comments about his secret plane swap in Turkey last month, a switch that took place amid an Iranian threat against him.
Trump had quietly left Turkey after a NATO summit on a different aircraft rather than Air Force One. At the time, many other people were still allowed to board the presidential plane, but the president himself did not. The change was not announced publicly and only came to light later.
In his remarks, the president addressed the security decision directly, as new questions swirled about why the swap was necessary and why other travelers were permitted on Air Force One while Trump flew separately.
The Iranian threat was cited as the reason for the unusual arrangement. The swap occurred as Trump was departing Turkey following the NATO meeting.
According to reports, this was Trump's first public statement on the matter since the secret switch became known. The episode has sparked renewed attention to how presidential travel is protected, particularly when a specific threat is involved.