Members of Trump's cabinet remained on decoy plane, after president's quiet exit

August 13, 2026

Following a NATO summit in Turkey on July 8, President Trump secretly switched from his original aircraft to a different military plane due to a perceived security threat from Iran, reportedly involving a shoulder-mounted missile launcher. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent knowingly remained on the decoy plane, which retained the Air Force One call signal, to maintain the presidential line of succession in case something happened to Trump. Trump was smuggled between aircraft using a catering truck, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and several close aides traveled with him on the smaller military plane.

Who is affected

President Donald Trump
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung
Executive Assistant Natalie Harp
Deputy White House Chief of Staff Dan Scavino
Director of Oval Office Operations Walt Nauta
Members of the press traveling with the presidential delegation

What action is being taken

No explicit ongoing actions are described in the article. The article reports on events that occurred on July 8 and subsequent reporting about those past events.

Why it matters

This incident reveals the serious security concerns surrounding the US president amid escalating tensions with Iran and highlights the extraordinary measures taken to protect the commander-in-chief. The deliberate decision to keep cabinet members on a decoy plane demonstrates the government's commitment to maintaining continuity of leadership and the presidential line of succession even during security operations. The varying credibility assessments of the intelligence warning also raise important questions about the reliability of foreign-provided intelligence and whether such information might be used to manipulate US policy decisions, particularly regarding the Iran conflict.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC