Secret Service Used Decoy Jet to Protect Trump During Ankara Visit

The president confirmed his departure via the nondescript jet, noting that the agency’s recommendation was non-negotiable. While Trump transitioned to the secondary aircraft, the iconic Air Force One remained on the tarmac and eventually departed with top officials and media personnel on board, effectively serving as a high-profile decoy to draw attention away from the commander-in-chief’s actual flight path.

Intelligence officials have kept the specific origin of the threat classified, though the move suggests a high level of concern regarding presidential security within the region. The maneuver left aides and journalists aboard the primary aircraft, raising questions about the safety of those left behind in the decoy vessel while the president slipped out of Turkey under the radar.