Trump flew on secret jet after Iran threat, decoy Air Force One used
US officials confirmed a missile threat led to Trump switching planes mid-flight from Turkey to the UK
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
La fuga di Trump. L’Air Force One usato come «esca» per depistare l’Iran
Photograph: Corriere Della Sera (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Intelligence identified a credible Iranian missile threat against Donald Trump during his return from a NATO summit in Turkey on 8 July 2026.
- Trump boarded Air Force One publicly but was moved to a secret military jet mid-flight, while a decoy plane carried officials and journalists to the UK.
- The decoy Air Force One was escorted by US fighter jets, as confirmed by a senior administration official.
- Trump initially denied any security concerns but later confirmed the threat, saying he followed his security team’s advice.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 16 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .
Trust
62/100
Craft
58/100
Hype
41/100
16 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
Only 2 of the 16 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Donald Trump was moved from Air Force One to a separate military jet during his return from a NATO summit in Turkey on 8 July 2026. The switch followed intelligence indicating a credible Iranian missile threat against the former president. Trump boarded Air Force One in front of cameras in Istanbul but was later taken by service elevator to a van, then to a nearby military aircraft for the flight to the UK.
A decoy Air Force One, carrying officials and journalists, flew separately. Those on board included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and several Trump advisers. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Trump flew on the secret jet. US fighter jets escorted the decoy plane, a senior administration official told Fox News.
Trump initially denied any security concerns on 8 July, calling questions about the plane switch "strange" and insisting there was no problem. After reports emerged, he confirmed the threat, saying he did not ask many questions and followed his security team’s advice. Corriere Della Sera reported that Trump had earlier claimed he was swapping planes as a tribute to military personnel.
What the reports agree on
All six outlets reported that a decoy Air Force One was used due to a credible Iranian missile threat. Corriere Della Sera, Fox News, RedState, and Twitchy confirmed that Trump was moved to a separate jet. Corriere Della Sera and RedState named Rubio and Bessent as passengers on the decoy plane, while Hegseth flew with Trump. Fox News reported the decoy was escorted by US fighter jets.
What the coverage left out
No left-rated outlet ran this story. None of the right-rated digests mentioned that Trump initially denied any security concerns, a detail reported by Corriere Della Sera. None of the right-rated digests named Iran as the source of the threat.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 4 times, most recently on 13 Aug 2026, 03:30, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
11 rated outlets
- Left-rated outlets agreed that President Donald Trump left Turkey on a separate jet after an Iranian threat, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained on a decoy Air Force One. The Associated Press reported that Rubio was aware of the switch, though it was unclear if Bessent knew. All digests noted the presence of journalists and White House staff on the decoy flight.
- The New Republic and Atlanta Black Star led on who Trump left behind, naming advisor Stephen Miller, Communications Director Steven Cheung, and press corps members alongside Rubio and Bessent. The Independent and Raw Story quoted criticism of the decision, including accusations that Trump endangered others. Mediaite and the Irish Examiner focused on the risk to reporters and staff on the decoy plane.
- The Associated Press report described Trump’s transfer as a covert operation involving a catering cart, a detail omitted from all digests. None of the digests mentioned the constitutional line of succession or the Secret Service’s role in the decision, both included in the AP’s full account. The Toronto Star, Seattle Times, and Washingtonian digests did not name any passengers beyond Rubio and Bessent.
Centre
3 rated outlets
- Corriere Della Sera led on the Iranian missile threat as the reason for the decoy plane. It detailed the sequence: Trump boarding Air Force One publicly, then being moved to a van and a separate military jet. The report named Rubio, Bessent, and Hegseth, and listed Trump advisers on the decoy plane. It quoted Trump’s later confirmation of the threat and noted his initial denial of any security concerns.
- The report described the decoy plane as a potential "mobile target" and explained the security rationale for separating the president and key officials. It included Trump’s social media post about swapping planes as a tribute to military personnel, which Corriere Della Sera called misleading in light of the later revelations.
Right
2 rated outlets
- The four right-rated digests led on different aspects of the security operation. Fox News reported the decoy Air Force One was escorted by US fighter jets, quoting a senior administration official. RedState named Rubio as a passenger on the decoy plane and Hegseth as flying with Trump. Twitchy framed the story as media overreach, saying outlets had "overdramatized" the threat.
- None of the right-rated digests mentioned Trump’s initial denial of security concerns. None named the Iranian threat as the reason for the decoy plane. Handelsblatt’s digest did not mention the decoy plane at all, instead grouping the story with unrelated US news.
Read it at the source
23 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
11- Rubio and Bessent stayed on decoy flight from Turkey as Trump switched planes, official says (opens The Toronto Star in a new tab)
The Toronto Star — is The Toronto Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rubio and Bessent stayed on decoy flight from Turkey as Trump switched planes, official says (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rubio and Bessent stayed on decoy flight from Turkey as Trump switched planes, official says (opens Associated Press News in a new tab)
Associated Press News — is Associated Press News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- ‘Miserable Excuse of a Human': Trump Left Rubio and Bessent in a 'Decoy' Plane Feared to be a Target While He Secretly Escaped with Young, Blonde Aide (opens Atlanta Black Star in a new tab)
Atlanta Black Star — is Atlanta Black Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Here’s Who Trump Chose to Leave on the Decoy Plane Targeted By Iran (opens The New Republic in a new tab)
The New Republic — is The New Republic biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Let Marco Rubio and Stephen Miller Fly on Decoy Plane, White House Wants to Keep Prosecuting Local Canoeist, and Kennedy Center Must Pay Musician’s Court Fees (opens Washingtonian in a new tab)
Washingtonian — is Washingtonian biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Donald Trump’s Air Force One deception faces scrutiny over ‘decoy’ passengers (opens Irish Examiner in a new tab)
Irish Examiner — is Irish Examiner biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Katie Miller goes off the rails attacking reporter behind bombshell Trump story (opens Raw Story in a new tab)
Show 3 more
- Expendables: Internet fumes over Trump using media as ‘decoy’ in Air Force One swap (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- TMZ’s Harvey Levin Questions Why Threatened Air Force One Was Allowed to Take Off with ‘Unsuspecting’ Reporters and Staff Aboard (opens Mediaite in a new tab)
- trump Turned Press and Staff Into Unwitting Decoys in the AF1 Shell Game - and Then Lied About It (opens Daily Kos in a new tab)
Daily Kos — is Daily Kos biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
Centre
5- Rubio and Bessent stayed on decoy flight from Turkey as Trump switched planes, official says (opens WKMG in a new tab)
- Trump's Escape. Air Force One Used as' Decoy 'to Mislead Iran (opens Corriere Della Sera in a new tab)
Corriere Della Sera — is Corriere Della Sera biased? Our profile of this outlet
- List of Trump officials left on ‘decoy’ plane raises questions about president’s priorities (opens Wonderwall.com in a new tab)
Wonderwall.com — is Wonderwall.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- DOD modernized SAR on the Air Force's VC-25B program (opens Inside Defense in a new tab)
Inside Defense — is Inside Defense biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump’s Air Force One ‘Decoy’ Escape Ignites Online Fury (opens Political Wire in a new tab)
Political Wire — is Political Wire biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
6- 'Decoy' Air Force One was protected by US fighter jets, official says (opens Fox News in a new tab)
- Powerful Security Move: Trump and Hegseth Fly Discreetly, As Rubio Takes Decoy Air Force One (opens RedState in a new tab)
- NO WAY! Journos Might Have Been Slightly Over-Dramatic About the 'Decoy' Air Force One Danger (opens Twitchy in a new tab)
Twitchy — is Twitchy biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- USA: US Fighter Jets Catch Aircraft on Trump Visit to Ohio (opens Handelsblatt in a new tab)
Handelsblatt — is Handelsblatt biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Decoy Air Force One? Press Used As Bait (opens ussanews.com in a new tab)
ussanews.com — is ussanews.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sam Stein, David Axelrod, Harvey Levin Also Upset for Reporters Left to Die on Trump’s Death Jet (opens Twitchy in a new tab)
Twitchy
Not rated
1Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Trump flew on secret jet after Iran threat, decoy Air Force One used?
- Of the 16 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 69% are rated left, 18% are rated centre, 13% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Trump flew on secret jet after Iran threat, decoy Air Force One used left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 16 rated outlets on this story, 69% are rated left, 18% are rated centre, 13% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Trump flew on secret jet after Iran threat, decoy Air Force One used biased?
- Trump flew on secret jet after Iran threat, decoy Air Force One used is one event reported by 16 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Trump flew on secret jet after Iran threat, decoy Air Force One used?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Trump flew on secret jet after Iran threat, decoy Air Force One used?
- 16 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- Why was a decoy Air Force One used for Trump?
- Intelligence identified a credible Iranian missile threat against Donald Trump during his return from a NATO summit in Turkey. A decoy plane was used to mislead potential attackers while Trump flew on a separate military jet, as reported by Corriere Della Sera and confirmed by Trump.
- Who was on the decoy Air Force One?
- The decoy plane carried Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and several Trump advisers, including Stephen Miller and Monica Crowley. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth flew with Trump on the secret jet, according to Corriere Della Sera and RedState.
- Did Trump initially deny the security threat?
- Yes. On 8 July 2026, Trump denied any security concerns, calling questions about the plane switch "strange". After reports emerged, he confirmed the Iranian threat, saying he followed his security team’s advice. Corriere Della Sera reported both the denial and the later confirmation.
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
