A lack of defensive capabilities on U.S. President Donald Trump’s new Air Force One led him to return from Turkey this week on an older presidential aircraft, after U.S. officials received Israeli intelligence about a possible plot to assassinate him, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials.
Some of the officials told the Journal that the threat was not considered fully credible. Still, the information, combined with Trump’s proximity to Iran as fighting resumed, was enough for the Secret Service, the White House Military Office and some national security officials to determine that Trump’s preferred aircraft was not sufficient to fly the president back to the United States.
Trump switches presidential planes in Britain on his way back to the US
(Video: Reuters)
The plane in question, donated by Qatar and upgraded by the U.S. Air Force, had been used by Trump to travel to the NATO summit in Ankara. On the return trip to Washington, he switched aircraft, flying on the older Air Force One to Britain before boarding the newer plane again to complete the journey to Washington.
Stepping off the old Air Force One and onto the new one
(Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images, AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Trump denied Wednesday that a security consideration had prompted the decision to switch planes. He insisted the new Qatar-donated aircraft was flown to Britain so U.S. troops stationed there could see it.
Asked whether he was aware of a credible Iranian threat against the plane, Trump said he faces threats “all the time” and that he is “No. 1 on their list.”
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Israel had given the United States new intelligence indicating Iran had drawn up a new plan to assassinate Trump. The New York Times also reported that Trump flew on the older plane as a security precaution.
Some U.S. officials said they were concerned Israel had shared the intelligence in an effort to influence U.S. decision-making and push Washington toward a return to full-scale war against Iran. They noted that a single piece of intelligence can sometimes provide only a partial picture of a possible threat.
The officials also said Iran knows that harming Trump could trigger an extremely severe U.S. military response.
A spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy said Israel shares intelligence with the United States because of the close partnership between the countries, not to advance any hidden agenda such as promoting war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not respond to a request for comment.