Trump Defends Hiding in Catering Container Truck to Escape Iran Assassination Threat During Turkey Visit

US President Donald Trump has defended an extraordinary security operation that saw him concealed inside an airport catering container truck before being moved to a separate military aircraft during his visit to Turkey.

The operation was reportedly carried out after US security officials assessed that Trump faced a credible threat from Iran.

Air Force One, carrying members of Trump’s staff and journalists, subsequently departed Turkey without the president on board, effectively serving as a decoy while Trump travelled on another aircraft.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Trump Secretly Flown from Turkey to UK Over Fear of Assassination After US Detected Iranian Missile Threat

Trump confirmed the details while speaking to reporters on Tuesday after returning from a trip to Ohio.

According to the president, the Secret Service and US military advised him to use a different aircraft because they believed it offered greater protection against the reported threat.

“I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk,” Trump said. “I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think that they would be more likely to go for.”

Trump also acknowledged that images and memes portraying him hiding inside a catering truck had circulated widely on social media.

He said he had simply followed the instructions of his security personnel.

“I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go in a different flight, different plane,” Trump said. “I just have to do what they say.”

After leaving Turkey, Trump travelled to the United Kingdom aboard a smaller government aircraft before later rejoining the presidential aircraft.

When questioned about the security risks surrounding the operation, Trump responded jokingly: “If I go, you go. Right?”

The operation was further complicated by the aircraft Trump had initially used to travel to Turkey. The plane, a luxury aircraft gifted to the United States by Qatar, reportedly lacks some of the missile-detection and countermeasure systems found on older presidential aircraft.

Trump therefore left Turkey aboard the smaller government aircraft and later reboarded the Qatari aircraft in Britain.

The revelation has triggered criticism from Democrats in Congress, with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer demanding an immediate briefing on the alleged Iranian threat.

“The Senate should be immediately briefed on the Iranian threats against the president, the extraordinary measures taken to get him out of Turkey, any risks posed to US personnel, and any threat to the homeland,” Schumer said in a statement Tuesday.

Schumer said it was unacceptable that lawmakers had to learn about the alleged threat through media reports rather than receiving information directly from the administration.

“It is unacceptable that Congress was kept in the dark and instead learned about this serious threat through press reports,” he added.

The incident has raised fresh questions about presidential security, the vulnerability of aircraft used by the US president and the extent of the Iranian threat that prompted the extraordinary evacuation operation.