US President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday that he secretly switched planes while flying out of Turkey last month due to a security risk. Trump acknowledged the switch after a US media report revealed that he left Ankara on a military aircraft instead of Air Force One.
Some journalists who flew on the original Air Force One were angered after learning they had unwittingly served as decoys. Trump, however, insisted that the military plane he actually took faced the greater danger. He argued that the plane he flew on would be the more likely target for any attack.
The Washington Post first reported that Trump had secretly departed Turkey on the military aircraft amid an alleged Iranian assassination threat. Trump's remarks on Tuesday marked his first public confirmation of the plane switch.