Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Secret Service advised Trump to not fly Qatari-gifted Air Force One
Source: The Hill
Administration
Secret Service advised Trump to not fly Qatari-gifted Air Force One
BY ASHLEIGH FIELDS - 07/08/26 10:36 PM ET
The Secret Service advised President Trump not to leave the NATO Summit in Turkey on the newer Qatari-gifted Air Force One, according to a Wednesday report.
Sources familiar with the matter said the president flew out of Ankara on the older Air Force One model out of an abundance of caution for a potential threat from Iran, although none were explicitly identified, the New York Times reported.
The Secret Service referred The Hill to the president's Truth Social post made earlier in the day when asked about the assessment from officials.
Trump wrote that the Qatari plane "was sent earlier to RAF Mildenhall, so we could show the wonderful Servicemembers, as per the entire Base's request." ... "They were very excited, picture enclosed. It was on our way back to the States from Turkey, with virtually no deviation of flightpath," he added.
{snip}
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5960254-secret-service-advised-trump-to-not-fly-qatari-gifted-air-force-one/
Not everyone can get to that "New York Times" story. I managed. Here's that:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/08/us/politics/trump-air-force-one-security.html
******
Security Precaution Led Trump to Use Old Air Force One in Leaving Turkey
The Secret Service is said to have asked that the president not use the Qatari-donated jet when he left Ankara. The swap deepens questions about the retrofitting of the new plane.
{snip video clip}
President Trump changed airplanes at the urging of the Secret Service, flying on the old Air Force One jet as a security precaution instead of the new Qatari-gifted plane for part of his return trip from a NATO summit in Turkey. Doug Mills/The New York Times
By Tyler Pager, Julian E. Barnes, Eric Schmitt and Eric Lipton
Tyler Pager reported from Ankara, Turkey. Julian E. Barnes, Eric Schmitt and Eric Lipton reported from Washington.
Published July 8, 2026
Updated July 9, 2026, 3:31 a.m. ET
President Trump flew out of Turkey on Wednesday night on the old Air Force One instead of his new Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 as a security precaution related to the resumption of hostilities with Iran, according to people briefed on the plans, who said the change came at the urging of the Secret Service.
The swap deepens questions about whether the new plane, which the president had pressed to be ready as soon as possible, was retrofitted with sufficient security measures over the last year. Lawmakers and some officials have raised concerns about whether the expedited timeline allowed for the addition of an advanced missile defense system and other modifications used to protect the president.
In a statement, Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, said that "the new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his staff." ... "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 -- including distraction and misdirection -- to address those threats," he added.
But people briefed on the new plane's capabilities, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security issues, said the new plane does not have all the features of the older plane. The switch in the president's aircraft when he departed Turkey was a precautionary measure made at the advice of the Secret Service and not because of a specific threat, they said.
{snip}
******
https://www.nytimes.com/by/tyler-pager
https://www.nytimes.com/by/julian-e-barnes
https://www.nytimes.com/by/eric-schmitt
https://www.nytimes.com/by/eric-lipton
----------
What Temu Oddjob is trying to say is that we, the American taxpayers, just got hosed to the tune of $400 million for this plane just for it to make one flyover of Mount Rushmore last Friday and a few more of the National Mall the following day. But hey, you turn eighty only once.
It would have been a lot cheaper to have given Donald a diesel Dodge Ram with the emission controls removed so that he could drive it around the Capital Beltway rolling coal until it was his bedtime.
23 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
Fox News sez they have absolute proof….
They don't even care how ridiculous their lies sound anymore.
Please, President Twitfuck, take the Qatar jet. Fly right over Iran. Show 'em who's the boss.
Then 
down goes Donnie.
New Air Force One Lacks Defensive Countermeasures of Previous Model, Officials Say
Experts said the lack of such capabilities poses a potential risk when the president travels overseas. The White House defended the aircraft’s safety.
The new presidential jet before its maiden flight as Air Force One last week. Doug Mills/The New York Times
By Tyler Pager, Eric Lipton, Adam Goldman, Eric Schmitt and Julian E. Barnes
July 9, 2026
The new Air Force One, which President Trump flew on earlier this week to Turkey, lacks the same defensive countermeasures that were security features of the old model, including its advanced antimissile capabilities, according to multiple officials who have been briefed on how the jet was retrofitted.
Experts say the absence of those capabilities on the Boeing 747-8 aircraft, which was donated by Qatar, creates potential risk in using the jet abroad, a dynamic underscored by the abrupt decision on Wednesday for Mr. Trump to leave Turkey on the old Air Force One at the urging of the Secret Service.
The episode is intensifying the focus on Mr. Trump’s demands to rapidly retrofit the donated 747 to replace an aging fleet that had served as the official presidential planes. … Lawmakers have called on the administration to disclose whether the overhaul of the Qatari plane, which the Air Force oversaw in the course of the last year, provided sufficient security upgrades. The safety of the aircraft is critical not only for the president, but also for the large entourage of White House staff, Secret Service officials, journalists and guests who fly aboard.
Mr. Trump pushed for the new plane to be put into use as quickly as possible and frequently complained that the old presidential aircraft was not impressive enough to take on international trips. … On Thursday, the White House did not address specific questions about the new plane’s capabilities, but defended its safety.
{snip}
Tyler Pager is a White House correspondent for The Times, covering President Trump and his administration.
Eric Lipton is a Times investigative reporter, who digs into a broad range of topics from Pentagon spending to toxic chemicals.
Adam Goldman is a London-based reporter for The Times who writes about global security.
Eric Schmitt is a national security correspondent for The Times. He has reported on U.S. military affairs and counterterrorism for more than three decades. Contact him securely on Signal: @ericschmitt.36.
Julian E. Barnes covers the U.S. intelligence agencies and international security matters for The Times. He has written about security issues for more than two decades.
Experts said the lack of such capabilities poses a potential risk when the president travels overseas. The White House defended the aircraft’s safety.
The new presidential jet before its maiden flight as Air Force One last week. Doug Mills/The New York Times
By Tyler Pager, Eric Lipton, Adam Goldman, Eric Schmitt and Julian E. Barnes
July 9, 2026
The new Air Force One, which President Trump flew on earlier this week to Turkey, lacks the same defensive countermeasures that were security features of the old model, including its advanced antimissile capabilities, according to multiple officials who have been briefed on how the jet was retrofitted.
Experts say the absence of those capabilities on the Boeing 747-8 aircraft, which was donated by Qatar, creates potential risk in using the jet abroad, a dynamic underscored by the abrupt decision on Wednesday for Mr. Trump to leave Turkey on the old Air Force One at the urging of the Secret Service.
The episode is intensifying the focus on Mr. Trump’s demands to rapidly retrofit the donated 747 to replace an aging fleet that had served as the official presidential planes. … Lawmakers have called on the administration to disclose whether the overhaul of the Qatari plane, which the Air Force oversaw in the course of the last year, provided sufficient security upgrades. The safety of the aircraft is critical not only for the president, but also for the large entourage of White House staff, Secret Service officials, journalists and guests who fly aboard.
Mr. Trump pushed for the new plane to be put into use as quickly as possible and frequently complained that the old presidential aircraft was not impressive enough to take on international trips. … On Thursday, the White House did not address specific questions about the new plane’s capabilities, but defended its safety.
{snip}
Tyler Pager is a White House correspondent for The Times, covering President Trump and his administration.
Eric Lipton is a Times investigative reporter, who digs into a broad range of topics from Pentagon spending to toxic chemicals.
Adam Goldman is a London-based reporter for The Times who writes about global security.
Eric Schmitt is a national security correspondent for The Times. He has reported on U.S. military affairs and counterterrorism for more than three decades. Contact him securely on Signal: @ericschmitt.36.
Julian E. Barnes covers the U.S. intelligence agencies and international security matters for The Times. He has written about security issues for more than two decades.
Hat tip, Joe.My.God.
https://www.joemygod.com/2026/07/doj-subpoenas-nyt-reporters-over-qatari-jet-stories/
Times Journalists Subpoenaed as Trump Escalates Pressure on Media
The Justice Department is seeking to compel testimony from reporters who wrote about the new Air Force One. The Times called the move a “brazen act.”
President Trump speaking to reporters before boarding the new Air Force One last week. Doug Mills/The New York Times
By Michael M. Grynbaum
July 11, 2026, 12:10 a.m. ET
The Trump administration issued subpoenas on Friday to several journalists for The New York Times, after the news outlet reported this week on security concerns involving President Trump’s new Qatari-donated Air Force One. ... The subpoenas — which seek to force the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday — were an extraordinary escalation in President Trump’s efforts to threaten and intimidate independent news organizations. ... In some cases, the subpoenas were delivered by federal agents who showed up at reporters’ homes.
The Times denounced the administration’s actions. ... “The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” said David McCraw, The Times’s top newsroom lawyer, in a statement on Friday evening.
“Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used,” Mr. McCraw wrote. “This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs.”
The subpoenas contain few specifics, asking only that the journalists testify “in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law.” They were issued by Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan. Mr. Clayton, who leads one of the country’s most prominent law enforcement offices, was recently nominated by Mr. Trump to serve as director of national intelligence.
{snip}
Benjamin Weiser contributed reporting.
Michael M. Grynbaum writes about the intersection of media, politics and culture. He has been a media correspondent at The Times since 2016.
The Justice Department is seeking to compel testimony from reporters who wrote about the new Air Force One. The Times called the move a “brazen act.”
President Trump speaking to reporters before boarding the new Air Force One last week. Doug Mills/The New York Times
By Michael M. Grynbaum
July 11, 2026, 12:10 a.m. ET
The Trump administration issued subpoenas on Friday to several journalists for The New York Times, after the news outlet reported this week on security concerns involving President Trump’s new Qatari-donated Air Force One. ... The subpoenas — which seek to force the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday — were an extraordinary escalation in President Trump’s efforts to threaten and intimidate independent news organizations. ... In some cases, the subpoenas were delivered by federal agents who showed up at reporters’ homes.
The Times denounced the administration’s actions. ... “The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” said David McCraw, The Times’s top newsroom lawyer, in a statement on Friday evening.
“Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used,” Mr. McCraw wrote. “This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs.”
The subpoenas contain few specifics, asking only that the journalists testify “in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law.” They were issued by Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan. Mr. Clayton, who leads one of the country’s most prominent law enforcement offices, was recently nominated by Mr. Trump to serve as director of national intelligence.
{snip}
Benjamin Weiser contributed reporting.
Michael M. Grynbaum writes about the intersection of media, politics and culture. He has been a media correspondent at The Times since 2016.