Secret Service Urged Trump to Skip Qatar-Donated Jet for Return from NATO Summit

The Hill — Home News—The Secret Service advised Trump to fly home from the NATO summit in Turkey on the old standard Air Force One rather than the new Qatar-donated luxury jet, citing security concerns about the Qatari aircraft's lack of key defensive features. The White House initially called the switch a deliberate "misdirection," but sources later confirmed it was security-driven. Trump had flown to Turkey on the Qatari jet but made the return leg on the older Boeing VC-25. During the trip Trump told a female reporter that if Iran attacked Air Force One, "if I go, you go" — a remark that drew wide coverage. Left-leaning outlets mocked the episode as a self-inflicted embarrassment over a controversial foreign gift.

• The Hill — Home News — Trump told a reporter she would die alongside him if Iran struck Air Force One
• Politico — White House — White House had planned post-Iran messaging but Trump veered off-script publicly
• New York Post — World — Trump chose the older standard aircraft over the Qatari luxury jet for security reasons
• ABC Australia — Secret Service urged Trump to use the older aircraft for the Turkey departure
• The Independent (UK) — Qatari jet lacks critical defense features present on the standard presidential aircraft
• CBS News — Secret Service privately advised Trump to ditch the Qatari-donated plane for the flight home
• The National (UAE) — Why did Trump fly home on the old Air Force One?
• HuffPost — Politics — Trump Dodges Question On Why He's Suddenly Not Flying New Qatari Air Force One
• CBS News — Questions arise about why the new Air Force One was sidelined for the return trip
• NBC News — Politics — Trump returned from Turkey on old Air Force One due to security concerns
• Straight Arrow News — The Qatar-donated jet swap raises broader questions about the aircraft's suitability
• The New Republic — Trump team reportedly fumed as the real security story behind the switch became public
• The Daily Beast — Star NYT Reporter Calls Out Trump’s Weird Air Force One Claim
• The Daily Beast — Late-night TV mocked the Air Force One episode as a Trump embarrassment
• The Hill — White House publicly called the Air Force One switcheroo a strategic 'misdirection'
• The Hill — Switch highlights security questions lingering around the Qatar-donated aircraft
• HuffPost — Trump declined to explain why he was suddenly not using the new Qatari Air Force One
• Daily Wire — Security lapses around the Qatar-gifted aircraft raise new questions about the gift's viability
• ABC News — Secret Service urged Trump to use old Air Force One as a security precaution: Sources
• Associated Press — Trump flies partway home from Turkey in an old Air Force One, not the new Qatari-gifted jet