Secret Service Requested Aircraft Switch; Trump's Return to U.S. on Older Air Force One Sparks Speculation

(CNA Ankara, July 9 - Reuters) After concluding his participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Turkey, U.S. President Trump initially departed Turkey on the older "Air Force One." The new aircraft gifted by Qatar was flown to the United Kingdom first, after which Trump switched to the new aircraft in the UK for his return to Washington.

According to Agence France-Presse, Trump stated on his social media platform "Truth Social" that he decided to fly the new aircraft to Mildenhall Air Base in the UK first, giving the U.S. military personnel stationed there an opportunity to tour the plane.

He said, "Everyone was very excited, and we thought they should be the first ones to see it. For nostalgia, we'll be flying on the old Air Force One from Turkey."

However, the temporary change of aircraft for the new plane's first overseas mission has led to speculation about whether it was due to insufficient security protection equipment, especially as the U.S. military had once again launched airstrikes against Iran, which borders Turkey, further heightening concerns about security.

The "New York Times" reported today that this aircraft switch was requested by the U.S. Secret Service as a "precautionary security measure."

The Times quoted unnamed sources as saying that the new aircraft still lacked some capabilities of the older one, but the switch was not in response to any specific security threat.

Furthermore, accompanying media personnel were also asked to close their cabin window curtains during takeoff, but no reason was provided.

At a press conference, Trump did not directly respond to the security questions but mentioned past alleged assassination plots against him by Iran. He said, "I talk about it all the time because the life of a president is a dangerous one."

Later, after boarding the new "Air Force One," Trump told reporters, "Because we have to deal with those nasty guys, you might be on a dangerous flight right now," subsequently referring to Iran as "sick people."

The Boeing 747-8 aircraft was gifted by the Qatari royal family last year. Prior to this, Trump had repeatedly complained that the two presidential aircraft, in service since 1990, were quite old.

This new aircraft underwent rapid modifications and the addition of security protection equipment, and it first carried Trump on a flight mission on July 1.

The gifting of this multi-hundred-million-dollar aircraft by Qatar had also raised widespread questions regarding ethics, constitutionality, and national security. Critics argued that a foreign government gifting such a high-value aircraft could involve conflicts of interest and security risks. (Compiled by Hsu Jui-cheng) 1-cheng) 1150709)

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