US President Donald Trump faced questions about the security of his new Air Force One plane gifted by Qatar, after he took an older jet home from a NATO summit this week.
The billionaire president has been unable to contain his excitement over the retrofitted Boeing 747-8 aircraft, which took him to Ankara on its maiden trip outside the United States.
Trump then abruptly announced in Turkey that he would send the aircraft ahead to a British airbase saying the decision was made to allow US troops to tour the luxury plane.
The New York Times reported on Friday that the new plane lacked the same security countermeasures boasted by the older jet, including anti-missile defenses. US media also reported that the Secret Service had advised the switch.
Speculation was fueled by the fact that US hostilities had flared again with Iran, which borders Turkey, and because journalists on the old plane out of Ankara were also told to keep their window blinds down, a step normally reserved for war zones. Trump himself denied any security concerns, but after switching back to the new plane for the flight from the UK to Washington, he referred to alleged Iranian assassination attempts.
“You’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with,” he said.
The New York Times said several of its journalists received subpoenas from the Trump administration on Friday, following its report on the new Air Force One.
“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 publication’s top newsroom lawyer. The White House defended the new plane’s safety.
“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,” Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement to AFP on Friday. “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 to address those threats.”