Two members of US President Donald Trump’s cabinet flew on a decoy plane last month that Trump secretly exited in order to board a different flight, according to the BBC’s US partner CBS News.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained on board what was believed to be Air Force One – the term normally used to refer to the plane carrying the US president.
They were travelling home from a Nato summit in Turkey. The separate flight was provided to Trump due to a perceived security threat posed by Iran.
Trump initially entered the same plane as his officials and members of the press, before secretly transferring to a military plane before takeoff.
The elaborate ruse involved him hiding on a catering truck to move between the two aircraft on 8 July.
The label Air Force One applies to any plane carrying the president, but in this case the original craft kept the call signal despite Trump’s exit – thereby becoming a decoy.
According to CBS, Rubio and Bessent were among the limited group who were aware that Trump had changed aircraft, but remained on board the first plane in order to maintain the line of succession in case something happened to the president.
In the event that the president dies or is incapacitated, Vice-President JD Vance would take power, followed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
The secretary of state comes next in line, followed by the treasury secretary.
Others who stayed on the initial aircraft that remained designated as Air Force One included White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Steven Cheung, the White House’s communications director.
Meanwhile the smaller aircraft that flew Trump out of the Turkish capital Ankara was reportedly also transporting Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary. Trump was also accompanied by his executive assistant Natalie Harp, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, and Walt Nauta, director of Oval Office operations.
The BBC has contacted the White House for comment.
