Trump Throws Secret Service Under the Bus, Claims He Was Put on Plane That ‘Was at Greater Risk’ of Being Attacked

President Donald Trump claimed that a military plane that secretly flew him out of Turkey last month was “at greater risk” of being targeted even though the Secret Service determined it was the safer option.

Trump traveled to last month’s NATO summit in Turkey aboard a new Qatari-gifted Air Force One plane. However, upon departing the country, he said he would depart on the “former Air Force One.”

That turned out not to be the case.

On Monday, The Washington Post reported that Trump boarded the “former Air Force One” in view of TV cameras and was stealthily whisked away to a catering container, which was then transported to an Air Force C-32A. Meanwhile, White House staff and reporters used the plane that was allegedly a target that, in such a scenario, acted as a decoy plane.

Trump spoke with reporters on Tuesday night at Joint Base Andrews and was asked about the plane change. He made clear that he deferred to the Secret Service and added that the plane he was put on “was at greater risk”:

TRUMP: It’s only up to Secret Service. I just follow what they’d like to do. So, I go by the Secret Service – and the military. They wanted me to go in a different flight, a different plane, uh, equal safety. But they wanted me to do it, so I do it. I do what they say.

[…]

REPORTER: Why was it too dangerous for you to fly on Air Force One, but not too dangerous for the press?

TRUMP: Well, I don’t know. I think, actually, the plane that I flew on was at greater risk. I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think that they would be more likely to go for.

REPORTER: Were you worried about a shoulder-fired missile?

TRUMP: Uh, I don’t worry about anything, to be honest. Whatever it is, you know, my attitude? Whatever.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Israeli officials briefed their U.S. counterparts while Trump was in Turkey, and warned of an alleged Iranian threat on the president’s life – specifically, “a threat to use shoulder-to-air missiles to target Air Force One.”

Back in February, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed Trump alleged intelligence indicating that the Islamic Republic was ripe to be toppled if Trump started a massive bombing campaign against the country. The president did so on Feb. 28 with Israeli assistance. The war has been ongoing since.

Watch above via CNN.

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