Donald Trump made a surprising entrance at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey by arriving on his brand-new Qatar Force One jet. Last week, it was reported that this jet would be used for domestic travel due to security concerns compared to the official ‘Air Forces One’ fleet. However, Trump revealed on Truth Social that he sent the new jet to RAF Mildenhall in England for refueling, while he personally flew from Ankara to Suffolk on an older plane for sentimental reasons.
The Qatar Force One jet was prepositioned at Mildenhall, and upon arrival, Trump switched to the new jet for the transatlantic journey back to Washington, DC. Despite speculation, Trump did not use the old plane solely for nostalgic reasons. The key difference between his outbound and return flights was the resumption of American military action against Iran on Tuesday night.
Reports suggest that the Secret Service advised against using the Qatari-donated jet initially due to inadequate security and defense systems for intercontinental travel, especially considering the proximity to Iran. At the NATO summit, Belgian PM Bart De Wever humorously avoided discussing the USA’s World Cup exit with Trump to prevent any potential negative reactions from the President, who was reported to be irritable and discussing controversial topics like trade with Spain and annexing Greenland.
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