Secret Service Moves Trump Off Air Force One After Israeli Tip; U.S. Intel Found No Credible Threat

U.S. intelligence agencies expressed skepticism about an Israeli tip that alleged Iran planned to target Air Force One, but the Secret Service chose caution and moved President Donald Trump to a different aircraft as he prepared to depart Ankara, sources told ABC News.

The reported warning — that a shoulder-fired missile might be aimed at the president's plane — was passed to U.S. authorities by Israeli intelligence shortly before Mr. Trump was set to leave the NATO summit. According to sources, Israeli officials had limited time to vet the information or form an independent judgment on its credibility, so they shared it because the president's departure was imminent.

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters - PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump attends the NATO summit in Ankara

American agencies reviewed the tip and raised doubts about its reliability, ultimately judging it did not indicate a serious or immediate operational threat. Nevertheless, the U.S. Secret Service determined it could not accept even the possibility of risk and recommended enhanced security measures. That recommendation led to Mr. Trump being transferred to another military aircraft after briefly leaving his plane via a catering truck.

'It's only up to Secret Service. I just follow what they'd like to do,' Mr. Trump told reporters. 'So I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane. Equal safety. But they wanted me to do it, so I do it. I do what they say.'

Officials said U.S. and Turkish investigators continued to probe the alleged missile threat after Mr. Trump left the summit but uncovered no evidence of an operational plot. The Washington Post previously reported that the CIA had 'low confidence' in the Israeli-shared assessment that Iran planned an assassination attempt against the president; the CIA declined to comment.

Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo - PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media after disembarking Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, August 11, 2026.

Why the Response Was Heightened

Threats tied to Iran carry particular sensitivity because Mr. Trump ordered the 2020 airstrike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies routinely treat claims against the president with heightened scrutiny and caution, a stance reflected in the Secret Service's decision to prioritize immediate safety over waiting for fuller confirmation of the tip.

Deputy Director of the U.S. Secret Service Matt Quinn noted publicly that there had been media reporting about Iranian statements targeting the president, underscoring why officials reacted quickly even as intelligence analysts sought to determine the tip's credibility.

In short, the action taken was preventive and precautionary: Israeli-supplied intelligence prompted concern, U.S. analysts judged the threat unlikely to be operational, but the Secret Service elected to err on the side of protecting the president while investigations continued.