CNN commentator David Axelrod raised concerns about how the White House handled an alleged threat against President Donald Trump during a NATO summit last month. His comments came after the Washington Post reported that Trump secretly switched planes while leaving Turkey, even though members of the press and White House staff believed he was still on board Air Force One.
According to the Post, Trump did not actually fly out of the summit on Air Force One as officially recorded. The move was reportedly made to guard against a possible Iranian assassination attempt during the ongoing U.S. war with Iran.
Trump had flown to the summit on the newer Qatari-gifted Air Force One plane. When leaving, he said he would travel on the “former Air Force One” instead. That plane later landed in the United Kingdom before returning to the U.S.
Reporters and staff were told the plane was a decoy
A U.S. official told the Post that Trump boarded the older Air Force One plane in view of TV cameras, but was then quietly moved to a catering container. That container was taken to a U.S. Air Force C-32A aircraft. The official said this made Air Force One the “decoy,” with journalists and some White House staff still on board it, unaware of the switch.
Appearing on CNN’s The Source, Axelrod said the threat against Trump must have been “extraordinary” for the White House to take such steps. He said the American public should be told how serious the threat was, given the extreme measures taken to protect the president.
Axelrod then addressed the press and staff who remained on the decoy plane. “And then the other piece of it is that, in fact, everyone on that plane was a decoy,” he said. “If they felt that it was unsafe to be on the plane, then it was unsafe for everybody else to be on the plane as well. So, they at least deserve to know, if not, then than after why this was happening.”
Host Kaitlan Collins responded by noting that since everyone believed Trump was still on the plane, it would have remained a target either way.
The Washington Post reported that the U.S. had detected a credible threat that Iran might fire a missile at the plane. Trump had earlier said during the summit that he was Iran’s “number one target.” The alleged plane switch happened a day after the U.S. carried out renewed strikes on Iran, following the breakdown of talks between Washington and Tehran.
Trump arrived in Turkey aboard the newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar. He said he would leave on the older Air Force One “for old time’s sake.” This is the same Qatari jet whose future in presidential service has been quietly pulled from active use not long after it was unveiled.
Footage on July 8 showed him boarding the older Air Force One at the Ankara airport. But the Post reported he was then secretly taken to a smaller C-32A military aircraft, a modified Boeing 757 that is often used by the vice president. He was reportedly moved using a catering truck raised to plane level on the side of the aircraft opposite where he had boarded.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly boarded the C-32A separately using outside stairs, in an effort to make the flight look normal. Journalists and some White House staff who boarded Air Force One were told to close their window shades and were not aware that the president was no longer on the plane.
Trump then flew to the U.K. on his way back to the U.S. He reboarded the older Air Force One plane and was seen leaving it after it landed at RAF Mildenhall. It is not clear how he moved from the C-32A back to that aircraft. He then switched to the newer Qatari-donated jet to fly from the U.K. to the U.S.
During that final flight, Trump spoke with reporters and talked about the threats from Iran, though he did not mention the earlier plane switch. When asked why reporters had been told to close their window shades on the flight from Turkey, Trump said, “Because you’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with.”
He added that he faces a “threat all the time” on his life and said he is “number one” on Iran’s “list.” He also told reporters, “But if I go, you go, right?” and added, “Perhaps someday you want to change professions.”
White House communications director Steven Cheung did not confirm or deny the reports. He said the new Air Force One is a “state-of-the-art aircraft” equipped with security measures to protect the president and his staff.
The New York Times had earlier reported on security concerns tied to the Qatari-gifted jet, including a claim that the Secret Service urged Trump to switch planes on his way back from the NATO summit. That report led to federal agents showing up at reporters’ homes after journalists were subpoenaed over their Air Force One coverage. The Justice Department told the BBC it is investigating illegal leaks related to the reporting.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to CBS News that the new Air Force One “is perfectly safe for the President’s travels, but will receive additional upgrades and enhancements in the fall which will take approximately one month to complete.”
Published: Aug 11, 2026 09:34 am