President Trump addressed reporters Tuesday night after returning to the Washington area from Geneva, Ohio, where he attended the finals of the Patriot Games. Speaking on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews with Air Force One nearby, Trump was asked about a story that drew heavy media attention throughout the day: reports that a “decoy” aircraft was used during his July trip to Turkey for a NATO summit.
READ MORE: Perez Hilton Livestream Incident: Tragic Disfigurement Details Emerge
As RedState reported earlier Tuesday, Trump did not leave Turkey aboard Air Force One on July 8 as originally expected after officials responded to what was described as a credible assassination threat from Iran. Instead, the president was quietly moved off Air Force One and placed on a smaller aircraft, a shift that was not known at the time to the press pool or to some White House staff members who departed Turkey on Air Force One.
The revelation set off a wave of reaction across the political media, with particular focus on whether journalists and staff aboard Air Force One may have faced additional risk by traveling on the plane associated with the president. The episode underscored a persistent reality of covering Trump at close range: access to a high-profile president comes with security concerns, especially given the repeated threats and acts of political violence directed at him.
