What was it all about and who did what to whom?
Rarely does a week pass without Donald Trump becoming the focus of a lie so blatant or an accusation so shocking that one finds oneself staring in disbelief at the screen. Even after more than eighteen months of constant exposure to Trump-related controversies, certain insults, actions, or absurd narratives push the shock to a new level, especially when considering the harm these events inflict on both the nation and much of the world. One particularly striking example is the recent revelation of an unusual presidential plane swap in Ankara, Turkey, which took place a month ago—its sheer ridiculousness highlights just how far things have spiraled out of control.
Despite Trump’s well-known ignorance and apparent disregard for others, this episode of fleeing Air Force One aboard a food cart, reminiscent of a Prisoner of Zenda plot, evokes Rod Serling’s famous proclamation: “We have now entered the Twilight Zone.” The secretive escape was reportedly executed to evade an alleged assassination attempt by Iran, though the specifics of this threat push the limits of credibility when it comes to anything “DT.”
Details about the Ankara incident remain incomplete, but the core narrative is this: intelligence indicated a plan to assassinate President Trump by targeting Air Force One with a missile as he left the NATO summit. Various sources claim “credible evidence” points to Iran’s involvement, possibly seeking retribution for the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khameini earlier that year. Iran and Turkey’s long, porous border could feasibly facilitate smuggling missiles into Turkey without raising alarms, which adds some plausibility to the threat.
Although the CIA reportedly regarded the intelligence with “low confidence,” a security alert was nonetheless issued concerning the US delegation’s flight. To complicate matters further, some suggest the intelligence originated from Israel. Turkish authorities suspect that this was a fabricated report aimed at scaring the president to jeopardize US-Iran diplomatic efforts. Israel’s motivations extend beyond this, including opposition to Trump’s approval to sell US-made F-35 fighters to Turkey, seen by Israel as a potential adversary. Moreover, Israel and its lobbying groups have pressured Trump over concerns that he has softened his stance on confronting Iran.
Thus, several potential origins for the so-called “threat” to destroy the US plane arise. If Israel’s involvement is confirmed, even a genuine plot might have been an Israeli false flag meant to implicate Iran. The truly disturbing aspect is Trump’s predictable shift of blame onto a “security” decision by the Secret Service—a dubious excuse given that the president controls that agency. It remains unclear why the obvious step of evacuating the plane to ensure safety wasn’t taken. Passengers and crew, unaware of any danger, boarded the plane and prepared to fly to the UK, later completing the flight. Some onboard wondered about Trump’s absence, noting he typically mingles and boasts before departure.
While others boarded, Trump performed what I call the “Chickenwalk Crawl,” though the “Daily Beast” labels it “the Presidency’s Profile in Cowardice.” He and a few aides, including his ever-present blonde assistant Natalie Harp and Secretary of War Peter Hegseth, were secretly removed from the plane inside a catering cart typically used to deliver meals. Presumably, they were “delivering BigMacs” to Air Force One. This group then transferred to a US Air Force C32A at the airport. While the account is filled with inconsistencies and spin, the important fact is that Trump and his inner circle were kept safe—but what about the others?
Not only did Trump’s Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent remain onboard, but they seemingly were unaware of their role in serving as a “decoy” flight to draw any missile attacks. The plane’s call sign, despite Trump’s departure, stayed the same to maintain the illusion to potential eavesdroppers that the president was still aboard, thus making the aircraft a deliberate decoy.
A senior official from the Trump administration predictably told journalists that US fighter jets shielded the “decoy” Air Force One during its return flight from Ankara, though Turkish authorities have not corroborated this. Trump himself now asserts that he was at “greater risk” than the passengers on the decoy flight—a transparently false excuse reminiscent of much White House misinformation. Perhaps he should consult his Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who resigned just a day after the decoy story surfaced. Leavitt was aboard the decoy plane and may have been affected by the experience. Regardless of the spin, it appears obvious that had the attack succeeded, everyone on board would likely have perished.
Now that the Iran-Turkey-Israel plane hoax has run its course and is being obscured by conflicting narratives, no one faces accountability or rigorous investigation. Just wait for the next scandal! Meanwhile, the Pentagon—with Donald Trump, considered to be under Israeli influence, having nuclear launch authority—is exploring ways to streamline the possibility of regional nuclear conflicts, as The Defense Post reports here. According to their coverage, “Officials maintain that the doctrine is designed to expand the president’s range of credible response options during an allied crisis, mitigating the need to resort to a full-scale nuclear intervention. ‘If you actually want extended deterrence to be credible, you have to provide the nation’s political leadership with nuclear capabilities that common sense indicates you could actually use,’ a defense insider told the outlet. ‘Otherwise you’re reducing our leadership’s options to extreme choices that the adversary won’t find credible.’” Astonishing—the promise of “nuclear capabilities” that leaders “can actually use!” One can only dread what this means with Trump in charge!
Original article: www.unz.com
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