Trump Ditches Qatari Jet for Old Air Force One Amid Security Fears
President Donald Trump has made a shocking switch back to the old Air Force One, ditching the Qatari-gifted jet amid swirling security concerns.
Trump told reporters he was taking the older plane home “for old time’s sake” while the $400 million jet tours an air force base housing U.S. troops.
When pressed about potential security issues that might have prompted the switch, Trump flatly denied any threats. He claimed there was no credible danger, despite reports suggesting otherwise.
One reporter questioned why they were instructed to close their window blinds on the plane. Trump quipped, “Because you’re probably on a dangerous flight,” hinting at perceived threats from Iran.
When asked if he was aware of any credible threat from Iran against Air Force One, Trump responded, “Well, I have a threat all the time. I’m No. 1 on their list, before you. But if I go, you go.”
Despite Trump's dismissal of safety concerns regarding the Qatar jet, insiders revealed he switched planes as a precaution due to renewed hostilities with Iran, following advice from the Secret Service.
The newly acquired jet lacks some missile detection and countermeasures systems present in its predecessor, according to images reviewed by the Associated Press.
This decision came after a new wave of U.S. strikes in Iran, which borders Turkey, following Trump's declaration that the fragile ceasefire in the ongoing war is “over.”
At a press conference in Ankara, Trump reiterated that he is at the top of Iran’s kill list. “I don’t really care because I’m doing my job … But I’m No. 1 on the list for killing,” he stated.
White House communications director Steven Cheung claimed the new jet is a “state-of-the-art aircraft” equipped with high-level security protocols to protect the President and his staff.
Cheung added, “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.”
Throughout his remarks at NATO, Trump insisted that Iran is plotting his assassination.
In 2020, Trump ordered an airstrike near Baghdad International Airport that killed Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force. This strike followed multiple assassination attempts against him from various factions over two decades.
The operation sparked intense backlash across the region, condemned by Iran’s foreign minister as an act of international terrorism. By 2024, U.S. intelligence reportedly gathered evidence indicating Tehran was seeking ways to eliminate then-candidate Trump.
Federal prosecutors later charged at least two men for attempting murder-for-hire plots targeting U.S. officials, including Trump.
Last year, Trump warned that Iran would face obliteration if he were assassinated by state actors. “That would be a terrible thing for them to do,” he said in February 2025. “Not because of me. If they did that, they would be obliterated.”
In his NATO remarks, Trump detailed the toll of U.S. strikes in Iran over recent months and suggested he might also be “gone” if the conflict escalates further.
“They had leaders. They’re gone, and they had another set of leaders. They’re gone,” he noted. “Now they have another set of leaders; they may be gone too.”
As he prepared to leave Turkey, Trump boarded an older Boeing VC-25A that has served presidents for nearly four decades.
The Qatari-donated Boeing 747, retrofitted with $400 million in upgrades, features Trump’s signature navy blue with red and gold stripes, plush carpets, wood paneling, and presidential seals on seatbelts.
The White House claims this aircraft is “safe, secure and equipped with the most advanced technologies necessary to meet the requirements of the presidential mission.”
“Those requirements were carefully crafted to prioritize mission over aesthetics,” a press release stated. “No risk was taken in security or mission communications.”
The aircraft serves as a temporary placeholder between Trump’s older model Boeing fleet and newer planes expected to be ready only after his term ends.
Trump plans to keep the plane after leaving office for his presidential library.
He acknowledged that getting the jet into a hotel-like skyscraper lobby in Miami will be a “trick,” especially with Democratic members of Congress considering investigations into the ethical implications of accepting such a gift.
