CIA ‘had low confidence’ in Trump assassination threat that sparked secret Air Force One swap

CIA Reported Low Confidence in Israeli-Supplied Iran Threat Before Trump’s Secret Plane Switch

The CIA assessed an Israeli warning of an Iranian threat against President Donald Trump last month as carrying “low confidence,” according to officials cited by The Washington Post, yet proceeded with a deception plan that moved the president from his aircraft at Ankara airport. The operation used a hydraulic catering truck to transfer Trump to a C-32A at Ankara International Airport while the modified Boeing 747-8 continued its scheduled route.

Trump had arrived in Ankara aboard the 747-8, which Qatar had transferred to the U.S. government the previous year. After the reported threat, he boarded the C-32A for the initial leg. The C-32A flew to RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk for refueling. Trump then transferred to a conventional Air Force One for the remainder of the return flight. Photographers recorded him disembarking the 747-8 at Mildenhall, creating the appearance that he had remained aboard throughout.

An unnamed U.S. official told the Post that the Secret Service had experienced three prior security incidents involving the president and therefore elected to implement the additional measure. A second former official described the Israeli reporting as consistent with a pattern in which some U.S. personnel viewed the information as intended both to inform and to influence decisions.

The same reporting noted that CIA Director Jim Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine had previously advised Trump against launching Operation Epic Fury strikes on Iran in February, citing concerns that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had presented an elevated assessment of the danger. Trump authorized the operation despite those objections and despite reservations expressed by Vice President JD Vance.

Operation Epic Fury targeted Iranian missile and drone production facilities, naval assets, and defense-industrial sites. CENTCOM and White House statements later recorded that the stated military objectives were met and that a ceasefire took effect after 38 days. The original article’s reference to an ongoing conflict entering its sixth month does not align with those official timelines.

Trump subsequently stated that he followed Secret Service instructions regarding the aircraft change. “They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane, equal safety,” he said. “I do what they say.”

Former Secret Service agent Bobby McDonald told The Independent that the use of a decoy route was consistent with standard protective practices given the volume of recent threats. Secret Service Director Sean Curran has described the current threat environment as elevated compared with any period in his 24-year career. Agency data indicate roughly 10,000 threats against government officials and Supreme Court justices recorded through mid-2026, a 40 percent increase from the same period in 2025.

Iran has maintained since 2020 that it seeks accountability for the U.S. strike that killed Qassem Soleimani. U.S. officials have cited additional Iranian statements following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the February operation as contributing to the assessed risk level during the July travel.

The White House and CIA have not issued further public comment on the specific intelligence handling or the aircraft maneuver.