Rubio And Bessent Stayed On Decoy Flight From Turkey As Trump Switched Planes, Official Says

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent departed from last month's NATO summit in Turkey aboard what amounted to a decoy aircraft following an Iranian threat, while President Trump was covertly transferred to a smaller military plane, according to a senior U.S. Official who spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity.

The official said Rubio was aware of the plane switch and the threat that prompted it, though he did not explain why Rubio remained on the original aircraft. Bessent was likely aware of the situation, though the official could not confirm this with certainty. The official noted that security protocols for the president, particularly one who has faced multiple assassination attempts, exceed those afforded to even the highest Cabinet officials.

Under the Constitution, the secretaries of State and Treasury rank high in the presidential line of succession, following the vice president and the top-ranking members of each congressional chamber.

Trump had arrived in Ankara, Turkey for the NATO gathering aboard a newly acquired Qatari jet painted in red, white, and navy blue. When departing, he indicated he would travel partway home on an older Air Force One, citing a need to give troops stationed in eastern England an opportunity to inspect the new aircraft.

The Washington Post reported that Trump was not aboard the older Air Force One during the return flight from Turkey. Instead, he was moved to another aircraft via a catering cart to circumvent a potential Iranian attack. Journalists and some White House staff were led to believe the president was traveling with them on the original plane as his journey back to Washington began. Intelligence officials had previously raised concerns about a potential Iranian attack targeting the president or his aircraft, prompting the additional security measures and the decision to avoid using the newly gifted Qatari jet for the first leg of the return trip.

Trump confirmed the transfer late Tuesday, telling reporters at Joint Base Andrews: "It's only up to the Secret Service. I just follow what they'd like to do, so I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane, equal safety, but they wanted me to do it, so I do it, I do what they say."