"Secret Escape with Catering Truck"...Trump Abandons Air Force One Amid Assassination Threats

Secret Aircraft Swap in Turkey Amid Assassination Threats
Avenger Air Defense System Deployed at Bedminster Golf Course

Assassination threats against U.S. President Donald Trump have continued, leading to a noticeable increase in the level of presidential security. During overseas trips, a tactical operation has been employed in which Air Force One, the presidential jet, is used as a “decoy,” while President Trump is secretly transferred to another military aircraft. At golf courses, even mobile air defense systems equipped with Stinger surface-to-air missiles have made an appearance.

Assassination threats against U.S. President Donald Trump have continued, leading to a noticeable increase in presidential security levels. Photo by AP News Agency

On August 12, according to Yonhap News Agency, which cited U.S. military-focused outlet The War Zone (TWZ), President Trump was spotted playing golf at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on August 9, with an Avenger, a short-range air defense system of the U.S. Army, deployed nearby. The White House also confirmed the authenticity of the photo in question. The Avenger, which is mounted on a Humvee, is a rapid-response air defense system capable of firing infrared-guided Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Recently, its performance has been upgraded to counter drone attacks. Publicly released footage also shows that an air defense radar was deployed around the golf club along with the Avenger.

On the 9th, an Avenger, a short-range air defense system of the U.S. Army, was spotted deployed around President Trump while playing golf at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. X

This is not the first time that the Avenger has been seen at President Trump’s golf course. In a video released by the White House on the 1st, the Avenger could be seen in the background as President Trump greeted military personnel in Bedminster. On that occasion, when President Trump jokingly remarked that he was “not worried about missiles or drones,” a military official at the scene pointed to the air defense system, indicating their readiness to respond. Coincidentally, on August 9, while President Trump was at the golf course, two civilian aircraft violated the temporary flight restriction zone over the Bedminster area. North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) scrambled F-16 fighter jets to escort the planes out of the restricted area.

Dramatic Strengthening of Security During Overseas Trips

The bolstering of security around President Trump became especially apparent during his overseas trip last month. According to a report by the Washington Post (WP) the previous day, President Trump was seen openly boarding an older version of Air Force One in Ankara, Turkey, after completing the NATO summit on July 8. In reality, however, before takeoff he quietly disembarked and moved to a U.S. Air Force C-32A aircraft using an airport catering truck.

At that time, White House staff, security and support personnel, and media remained onboard the original Air Force One. Although reporters were told to lower the window shades, they did not know that the President had switched to another aircraft. As a result, Air Force One, without the President onboard, essentially served as a decoy. After arriving in the U.K., President Trump rejoined the presidential aircraft. The operation was carried out to counter credible threats, including the possibility of an attack from Iran. There have been precedents in which the U.S. president has concealed travel routes or used decoy aircraft for security reasons. However, WP pointed out that, in this instance, not even the reporters covering the President knew his actual whereabouts.

The intensified security around President Trump is based on actual assassination attempts and repeated security threats. On July 13, 2024, while campaigning in Butler, Pennsylvania ahead of the presidential election, President Trump was shot, and the bullet grazed the upper part of his right ear. In September of the same year, at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, an armed man was discovered hiding in the bushes by a Secret Service agent.

Security Intensified Following Previous Assassination Attempts

Even this year, security-related incidents have continued. At the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C. in April, an armed individual fired shots in a secured area, prompting President Trump and key attendees to be urgently evacuated. U.S. authorities investigated the possibility that President Trump and other administration officials were targeted for the attack.

The reason for the intensified security around President Trump lies in actual assassination attempts and subsequent security threats. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Earlier this month, a man in his 30s was arrested at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, ahead of President Trump’s scheduled visit. Authorities found that he had impersonated a security official to film the security arrangements at the golf club, and additional handguns, firearms, and bulletproof gear were later found in his vehicle and residence.

On top of this, assassination threats originating from Iran have further heightened the security protocol for President Trump’s movements and outside engagements. Overseas, deceptive operations have been conducted to conceal the President’s aircraft, and at golf courses, short-range surface-to-air missile systems have been deployed around the President. Analysts say that the ongoing ‘presidential assassination threat’ is fundamentally reshaping the security framework for the U.S. presidency.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.