Trump’s Air Force One deception faces scrutiny over ‘decoy’ passengers

Democrats are demanding a congressional briefing after reports revealed that former President Donald Trump was secretly moved to a different aircraft amid an alleged Iranian threat, leaving over 100 aides, officials, and reporters unknowingly onboard what they believed was Air Force One.

The operation, first reported by *The Washington Post* and *The New York Times*, involved Trump exiting Air Force One through a side door and boarding a catering truck to avoid detection. While he was transferred to a secure C-32A aircraft, the rest of the entourage remained on the older Air Force One, which officials deemed too risky for the president to use. The deception was so thorough that journalists and staff were kept in the dark, with instructions to keep window shades closed during the flight.

Steven Cash, a former CIA officer and Department of Homeland Security adviser, criticized the strategy, stating, “It appears that the idea was we can reduce the danger to President Trump by offering up 100 or so people to be killed by the Iranians in his place.” Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut called the operation “unprecedented and surreal” on CNN, questioning what precautions were taken to ensure the safety of those left onboard the aircraft.

The White House had publicly announced Trump’s travel plans, stating he would fly to Britain on Air Force One, though it was an older model rather than the newly donated Qatari aircraft. In reality, Trump boarded the presidential jet in full view of cameras before being secretly transferred to the C-32A. The C-32A arrived at RAF Mildenhall in Britain around 10:20 p.m., followed minutes later by the older Air Force One and the press pool. Photographs later showed Trump descending from the presidential aircraft, seemingly after being reunited with it, before greeting troops and boarding the Qatari-donated Boeing 747 for the return flight to Washington.

Ned Price, a former State Department official, acknowledged the need for extreme security measures but condemned the administration’s decision to mislead reporters for weeks, calling it an “outright lie” that turned journalists into “unwitting conspirators.”