Trump says Secret Service, military insisted on Air Force One decoy in Turkey

US President Donald Trump deflected criticisms about a decision to secretly fly him out of Turkey on a different aircraft while the White House indicated he was aboard Air Force One, saying the Secret Service and military demanded it in response to unspecified safety threats.

“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,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday after deplaning Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington while returning from Ohio.

The elaborate manoeuvre, first reported by The Washington Post, was prompted by an Iranian assassination threat against Trump. The deception was carried out as journalists, White House staff members and other government officials aboard Air Force One were given the impression the president was flying with them back to the US from a Nato summit in Ankara.

Asked why, the president replied, “I guess there was a threat out there, I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats.”

Trump confirmed he covertly switched planes upon his departure from Turkey. But he declined to elaborate on the nature of the threat, nor did he explain why the military thought it was safe for others to fly on the regular presidential aircraft, but not him.

“I don’t know, I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk,” the president said.