Trump's reported plane switch amid Iran threat is "downright scary," Democrat says

A report from The Washington Post that President Donald Trump secretly switched aircraft while leaving Turkey last month has raised new questions about the security threats facing the president amid escalating tensions with Iran. According to the Post, Trump appeared to depart Ankara aboard the older Air Force One but was actually moved discreetly to a smaller Air Force C-32A in a catering truck. The larger aircraft then continued to Britain, effectively serving as a decoy while Trump traveled separately, the Post reports, citing a U.S. official familiar with the operation and a separate person with knowledge of the president's travel. The unusual reported security operation came after Trump traveled to Turkey aboard the newer aircraft donated by Qatar for the NATO Summit. The decision to use a different plane for the return trip reportedly reflected security concerns, particularly as Iran borders Turkey and tensions between Washington and Tehran had intensified. Appearing on CNN with Kaitlan Collins, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal reacted strongly to the report, describing the circumstances surrounding the purported plane switch as "downright scary." He called it "unprecedented" and "surreal" while adding that the war in Iran has made the president, U.S. troops, Persian Gulf allies and the world less safe. "We need to know more probably about this threat," Blumenthal added. When asked by Collins if he wants a congressional briefing about the president reportedly switching planes, he said, "There has to be a congressional briefing, because it involves not just the safety of the president. I want to know what precautions were taken to make sure that all of the passengers on that Air Force One, which was judged too dangerous for the president to fly on, what precautions were taken to keep the staff and reporters on that plane safe." David Axelrod, former adviser to ex-President Barack Obama, told Collins on Monday night in part that it is "stunning" to think about the people used sort of as "a decoy" and "not told that the president wasn't on board and that the deception was continued even after he safely returned to Washington." Axelrod said it is hard for him to understand. Scott Jennings, former adviser to ex-President George W. Bush, said to Collins that this is "highly unusual," but said "it sounds to me like the threat was unusual." For lawmakers such as Blumenthal, the key issue now is understanding what happened behind the scenes and why the reported threat was considered serious enough to warrant such an unusual operation. A reported presidential aircraft switch conducted in secret, with another plane continuing publicly as a potential decoy, seems to highlight the extraordinary security challenges facing the president during a period of heightened conflict with Iran. It also leaves Congress with questions about what intelligence officials knew, when they knew it and whether additional briefings are necessary. This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.