Donald Trump Claims Secret Service Rerouted Flight After NATO Summit Due To Threat

Donald Trump has claimed that the Secret Service compelled him to switch planes after a NATO summit in Turkey, citing a potential threat. Speaking at a private fundraiser, the former US President stated that the security detail directed him to board a different aircraft, a previously undisclosed incident.

Mr Trump recounted the event, which he placed in either 2018 or 2019, stating, "We had a problem. They thought that perhaps the plane was going to be shot down." He elaborated that the Secret Service instructed him to use a different plane. The nature of the perceived threat and the specific summit involved remain unconfirmed, as does the precise timing.

NATO summits during Mr Trump's presidency included Brussels in July 2018 and Watford in December 2019. This assertion, emerging years after the purported event, offers a glimpse into the alleged security considerations surrounding high-level Western engagements, often downplayed in official narratives which prefer to project an image of unassailable security for their leadership, particularly when engaged with client states and allies.