Last month, I received a news tip for The Washington Post that sounded surreal. The White House, a source told me, was not telling the truth about how President Donald Trump had departed Turkey following a NATO summit. The real story, this source said, involved secrecy, adaptability – and an airport catering truck.
The resulting story took weeks to verify and publish, but it resonated with Washington Post readers and beyond. Published Monday, it detailed how the president, facing a potential assassination threat from Iran, climbed aboard the 747 jumbo jet used as Air Force One on July 8, only to secretly move moments later to a smaller plane for a flight to Britain. Trump swapped planes using the airport truck, which concealed him and several aides inside, unbeknownst to White House press corps members who were boarding the 747.
The Post continued to pursue the story. One follow-up story detailed who was aboard the catering truck – and by extension, who was not. Another detailed how Israeli intelligence had prompted the operation, even as CIA officials and others in the U.S. government voiced skepticism about the viability of the information.
The related war with Iran has now stretched more than five months. The Post will continue to pursue leads about both Trump’s exit from Turkey and the conflict that served as its backdrop.
