Trump, threatened by Iran, used ruse to fly home from Turkey on jet

▪ Republicans to choose Graham replacement

▪ Trump rolls back vaccine guidance

▪ Blanche sworn in as attorney general

▪ Record heat in contiguous U.S.

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President Trump engaged in an elaborate ruse last month as he faced a threat against his life from Iran, leaving a summit in Turkey via military jet while making it appear he was with reporters and aides on an older version of Air Force One.

The deception, a highly unusual case where the press traveling with Trump was misled about his whereabouts, was done because of the seriousness of the threats against the president, according to published reports Monday in The Washington Post, which first reported the account, and The New York Times.

It had been known that Trump had traveled aboard an older version of Air Force One from Turkey to Great Britain, and not a newer version of the presidential plane gifted to him by Qatar. That step had reportedly been taken to protect the president.

But the new accounts detail a much deeper plan, apparently made on the fly as Trump faced the serious threat.

Trump was seen boarding the old Air Force One jet upon returning from the NATO summit in Ankara early last month. But the Post reported that Trump was secretly shuttled to a smaller plane through an airport catering truck usually used to load metals and other supplies before a flight.

The smaller plane was an Air Force C-32A.

A U.S. official told the outlet that Air Force One, which had members of the media and White House staff on board, was a “decoy.”

The operation was kept hidden from journalists and some staff who believed they were on the same plane as the president.

The White House has for weeks maintained that Trump left the NATO summit on the old Air Force One before the president started using the Qatari jet, which he received in June.

Concerns arose about the security features of the jet as reports indicated that the Secret Service advised Trump to use alternate means to leave the summit.

White House communications director Steven Cheung defended the Qatari jet in a statement to the Post saying it has been “fitted with high-level security protocols” ensuring the president’s safety.

“As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats,” Cheung said.

The secret departure from the summit came just after the U.S. renewed military strikes on Iran as negotiations broke down.

The official told the Post that a credible threat to Trump set the “deception operation” in motion.

Another official said Air Force One has served as a decoy before in the past 30 years because of a serious threat or he was flying to a dangerous location.

Trump defended FIFA President Gianni Infantino as the soccer head faces controversy over his failed proposal to sell components of FIFA’s tournaments to private investors. The president warned on Truth Social that replacing Infantino, an ally of his, would be a “terrible mistake.”

North Carolina Republicans have chosen state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom (R) as the new nominee for the state’s 11th Congressional District after Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) dropped out of the race last week. Edwards suspended his campaign after a congressional report found he engaged in “highly unprofessional” conduct with two female staffers.

GOP Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Ron Johnson (Wis.) released text messages sent and received on Anthony Fauci’s government cellphone in 2021 that addressed the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women. The senators said more than 34,000 messages were obtained from the device.

Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) speaks with voters following a Senate candidate stump event ahead of a special GOP primary to select a replacement for her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Aug. 1, 2026, in Lexington, S.C. (Meg Kinnard, Associated Press)

TO THE TEST: Trump’sendorsement power is being put to the test today as Republican voters in South Carolina cast ballots for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s(R-S.C.) replacement.

Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.), who was appointed to serve the remainder of her brother’s term, is running for a full term with the president’s support. But she’s facing multiple opponents who have emphasized their own conservative credentials.

Among her chief rivals are GOP Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry as well as former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford. A half-dozen other candidates are also vying for the Republican nomination.

Trump hosted a telerally on Monday evening to support Darline Graham, seeking to help get her across the finish line.

“She’s the perfect person to carry on Lindsey’s legacy and, frankly, what I want to do,” Trump reportedly said at the rally Monday.

The rally took place on the same day the Pentagon officially renamed an air base in South Carolina after the late senator.

Darline Graham has promoted her support from Trump and her conservative views since being appointed to the Senate.

Her opponents have gone after her........

© The Hill