1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

Much ado about very little. Trump was merely following the directive of the US security services.

I agree but it’s still fun to poke fun at this cartoon president + I doubt the Iranians are going to rub out the guy doing the most damage and strengthening their cause they aren’t stupid.

6 hours ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

Decision-making authority regarding operational security tactics for protecting the President rests with the U.S. Secret Service.

The recent operation at the NATO summit in Ankara—where a decoy Air Force One was used and the President was secretly moved to a C-32A via a catering truck to avoid a surface-to-air missile threat—followed standard presidential protection protocols.

Using alternate military transports, decoy aircraft, and tactical deceptions is an established Secret Service playbook for high-threat overseas environments—similar to covert presidential flights previously arranged for combat zone entries in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.

Sorry it doesn't fit in with some of the conspiracy theories!😅

If the threat to Trump's plane was so serious as to warrant him being sneaked out, fair enough.

But to let the threatened plane take off on schedule full of unsuspecting and unasked decoys is about the level of moral responsibility I would expect from the US nowadays.

It would have been too easy to simply snag the thing and announce a delay for tech reasons till the threat was over. (Every aircraft carries tech defects that can be quoted.)

Trump could still have slipped into the other plane to then pop up in the UK safe and sound and using the tech delay as an excuse for the aircraft change. Then the original AF1 could have departed and none of the pilots, staff and journalists would ever have been in danger.

You call that 'administration'? Pathetic, cowardly and morally reprehensible to the Nth degree.

Noone with two brain cells to rub together or even an ounce of thought or care for the potential planeload of dead people.

Only a fool trusts the US now.

Edited August 12Aug 12 by BusyB
missing t

3 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

Much ado about very little. Trump was merely following the directive of the US security services.

Wonder what Rubio thinks of that

3 minutes ago, BusyB said:

If the threat to Trump's plane was so serious as to warrant him being sneaked out, fair enough.

But to let the threatened plane take off on schedule full of unsuspecting and unasked decoys is about the level of moral responsibility I would expect from the US nowadays.

It would have been too easy to simply snag the thing and announce a delay for tech reasons till the threat was over. (Every aircraft carries tech defects that can be quoted.)

Trump could still have slipped into the other plane to then pop up in the UK safe and sound and using the tech delay as an excuse for the aircraft change. Then the original AF1 could have departed and none of the pilots, staff and journalists would ever have been in danger.

You call that 'administration'? Pathetic, cowardly and morally reprehensible to the Nth degree.

Noone with two brain cells to rub together or even an ounce of though or care for the potential planeload of dead people.

Only a fool trusts the US now.

Operational deception is standard presidential protection doctrine during high-threat environments, not a moral failure.

Simulating a technical issue to ground Air Force One on a foreign tarmac would have telegraphed to enemy intelligence that their plot was compromised, forcing the threat cell to adapt and potentially launch a secondary attack while keeping a massive, stationary target sitting vulnerable on the airfield.

Executing a seamless decoy departure maintains absolute counter-intelligence advantage, keeping adversary tracking assets fixed on a false target while the President is quietly extracted.

The crew and aircraft involved are fully prepared military assets, not helpless civilian decoys.

The Air Force personnel on board are active-duty service members whose explicit mission includes executing deception profiles, and the primary VC-25A is a hardened military platform equipped with state-of-the-art directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) and anti-missile defense suites built specifically to neutralize missile threats. Using decoy tactics—a routine protocol employed from Bill Clinton’s flight into Pakistan to George W. Bush’s secret arrival in Baghdad—is a precise operational strategy designed to neutralize threat vectors without compromising operational security.

57 minutes ago, retayl said:

So using WH staff and reporters as decoys is standard Secret Service playbook? Stop talking out of your a$$.

AH I see another expert on Presidential security???

The Secret Service doesn't protect the President by hosting a democratic vote among the press pool—they run active-duty military decoy profiles, exactly as they did when Bill Clinton flew into Islamabad in an unmarked C-32 while the decoy VC-25A drew the risk, or when George W. Bush flew dark into Baghdad.

If you think executive protection in a hostile theater means keeping the President sitting on a foreign tarmac as a stationary target just to spare the press pool's feelings, you're confusing operational security with a customer service department.

4 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Wonder what Rubio thinks of that

The same as all the rest I suppose. But we all know what Trump thinks of ''Little Marco''.

The sheer paucity of imagination and moral responsibility in dealing with this simple problem is mind boggling. Stunning. And they want to lead the world? Not mine anyway.

Look how they value their own people's lives and safety. Like trash. Disposable.

I'm truly shocked. A very simple solution was available that would have endangered no one and merely delayed a couple of broadcasts. Disgusting and sick.

But hey, when you've just wrecked a whole country and begun shaking at the foundations of the global economy, what's a few journos? They only make fake news anyway. And little Marco? Don't make me laugh. Trumps sycophants most certainly get what they deserve in my books.

Edited August 12Aug 12 by BusyB

Maybe he should stay in hiding, just like Iran's shady leader.

They all knew who Donald Trump was and they're worshipping the Pro Business Corrupt Clown now.

Ted Cruz knew. Lindsey Graham knew. Marco Rubio knew. Rand Paul knew. Kellyanne Conway knew. Mike Pompeo Knew. Nikki Haley knew. Glenn Beck knew. Rick Perry knew. Susan Collins knew. They all knew.

| act.tv |

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Yeah, they're not the same at all. One is a cowardly traitor and the other is President Biden.

Not surprised, I'd be be pretty furious too.

If there was a credible threat, the President wouldn't have attended the summit. There was no need for him to be there. That's why you have a Vice President.

Its pure theater/theatre.

3 hours ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

Operational deception is standard presidential protection doctrine during high-threat environments, not a moral failure.

Simulating a technical issue to ground Air Force One on a foreign tarmac would have telegraphed to enemy intelligence that their plot was compromised, forcing the threat cell to adapt and potentially launch a secondary attack while keeping a massive, stationary target sitting vulnerable on the airfield.

Executing a seamless decoy departure maintains absolute counter-intelligence advantage, keeping adversary tracking assets fixed on a false target while the President is quietly extracted.

The crew and aircraft involved are fully prepared military assets, not helpless civilian decoys.

The Air Force personnel on board are active-duty service members whose explicit mission includes executing deception profiles, and the primary VC-25A is a hardened military platform equipped with state-of-the-art directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) and anti-missile defense suites built specifically to neutralize missile threats. Using decoy tactics—a routine protocol employed from Bill Clinton’s flight into Pakistan to George W. Bush’s secret arrival in Baghdad—is a precise operational strategy designed to neutralize threat vectors without compromising operational security.

AH I see another expert on Presidential security???

The Secret Service doesn't protect the President by hosting a democratic vote among the press pool—they run active-duty military decoy profiles, exactly as they did when Bill Clinton flew into Islamabad in an unmarked C-32 while the decoy VC-25A drew the risk, or when George W. Bush flew dark into Baghdad.

If you think executive protection in a hostile theater means keeping the President sitting on a foreign tarmac as a stationary target just to spare the press pool's feelings, you're confusing operational security with a customer service department.

Think you need to spend less time watching Hollywood movies. Maybe go to a bar and bore some other poor schmuk.

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23 hours ago, newnative said:

Coward. Of course he is. Started with the fake, ludicrous bone spurs that fooled nobody. Most cowardly of the cowards. Has no problem putting everybody aboard AF1 at risk to save just himself. You just know if he had been aboard the Titanic he would have thrown women and children out of a lifeboat to make room for his tubby self. I suspect there is nobody in the world surprised at this story, including me.

Note the old AF1 was being used. The new 'free gift' plane--which has cost American taxpayers 1 billion--not free--dollars to be rushed into service, is useless as an AF1 because it lacks all the important security stuff that a true AF1 has. Total waste of taxpayer money, not Trump's money. He should have been sent the bill for his useless, expensive bauble.

Update on my post:

2 minutes ago, newnative said:

Update on my post:

Now that Lindsay Graham is gone people are saying I'm the undisputed Queen of the Ballroom. Believe me. 😄

13 hours ago, retayl said:

Think you need to spend less time watching Hollywood movies. Maybe go to a bar and bore some other poor schmuk.

Yet somebody else who 'thinks' they know more than the US Secret Service.......

change from mc donalds

Trump chooses to attack Iran, kills their leader, slaughters 168 elementary schoolgirls, and those "sleazebag" Iranians are so thin skinned they want to do harm to the Second Coming. How silly!

I mean, I can understand retribution if, for example, a late night talk show hosts makes a joke about you, but just because you sent 14,000 missiles into their country killing their leader and many schoolgirls.....jeez, what the heck is the matter with those sleazebags?

Fortunately for all of us, a slew of journalists and White House staff were kind enough to pretend all is normal and act as decoys. I'm sure to a man or woman all would have gladly volunteered for the job, rather than buy a commercial ticket and find another way home.

I bet that catering truck stank .

Hopefully they got the stench of sh7t & pi55 out of it when he got out

Nothing wrong with sneaking trump out if there is a security threat. That’s SOP.

The problem is using civilians as your decoy shield without even telling them that they are in danger!

That’s the mark of a coward.

21 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Wonder what Rubio thinks of that

Leavitt already left! 😁

21 hours ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

Operational deception is standard presidential protection doctrine during high-threat environments, not a moral failure.

Simulating a technical issue to ground Air Force One on a foreign tarmac would have telegraphed to enemy intelligence that their plot was compromised, forcing the threat cell to adapt and potentially launch a secondary attack while keeping a massive, stationary target sitting vulnerable on the airfield.

Executing a seamless decoy departure maintains absolute counter-intelligence advantage, keeping adversary tracking assets fixed on a false target while the President is quietly extracted.

The crew and aircraft involved are fully prepared military assets, not helpless civilian decoys.

The Air Force personnel on board are active-duty service members whose explicit mission includes executing deception profiles, and the primary VC-25A is a hardened military platform equipped with state-of-the-art directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) and anti-missile defense suites built specifically to neutralize missile threats. Using decoy tactics—a routine protocol employed from Bill Clinton’s flight into Pakistan to George W. Bush’s secret arrival in Baghdad—is a precise operational strategy designed to neutralize threat vectors without compromising operational security.

AH I see another expert on Presidential security???

The Secret Service doesn't protect the President by hosting a democratic vote among the press pool—they run active-duty military decoy profiles, exactly as they did when Bill Clinton flew into Islamabad in an unmarked C-32 while the decoy VC-25A drew the risk, or when George W. Bush flew dark into Baghdad.

If you think executive protection in a hostile theater means keeping the President sitting on a foreign tarmac as a stationary target just to spare the press pool's feelings, you're confusing operational security with a customer service department.

You seem to have missed the point.

If there truly was a credible threat, it might have been nice to tell the press pool that they might wish to consider heading back inside the terminal and buying a ticket on a commercial aircraft, rather than fly back on al-Khothoot ar-Jaweah al Qatareah Wahid. They could have held the plane on the ground until Trump was long gone, and then told the journalists and staff of the issue, so that revealing the supposed threat would no longer have been an issue for Trump.

Trump is and always has been a coward. It's always "Me first" with him.

1 minute ago, Wingate said:

You seem to have missed the point.

If there truly was a credible threat, it might have been nice to tell the press pool that they might wish to consider heading back inside the terminal and buying a ticket on a commercial aircraft, rather than fly back on al-Khothoot ar-Jaweah al Qatareah Wahid. They could have held the plane on the ground until Trump was long gone, and then told the journalists and staff of the issue, so that revealing the supposed threat would no longer have been an issue for Trump.

Trump is and always has been a coward. It's always "Me first" with him.

Even worse.....I think Vance was on the "shoot this one down'" decoy

15 minutes ago, Wingate said:

You seem to have missed the point.

If there truly was a credible threat, it might have been nice to tell the press pool that they might wish to consider heading back inside the terminal and buying a ticket on a commercial aircraft, rather than fly back on al-Khothoot ar-Jaweah al Qatareah Wahid. They could have held the plane on the ground until Trump was long gone, and then told the journalists and staff of the issue, so that revealing the supposed threat would no longer have been an issue for Trump.

Trump is and always has been a coward. It's always "Me first" with him.

No, you seem to have missed the point.

The suggestion that the White House should have disembarked the press pool to buy commercial tickets during an active security threat ignores basic military doctrine and operational security.

When the Secret Service and Department of Defense identify an imminent threat, their absolute priority is tactical deception and immediate extraction.

Instructing journalists to leave the aircraft and scatter into an international terminal would have alerted foreign intelligence services that a covert departure was underway, compromising the operation and placing the entire delegation at severe risk.

Air Force One operates under strict Department of Defense transport protocols, not commercial airline logistics.

In high-threat environments, security details routinely deploy decoy aircraft and immediate departure sequences to clear hostile airspace, a standard protocol utilized across administrations, including by Presidents Clinton, Obama, and Biden during covert travel to high-risk zones.

The Secret Service acts on military containment mandates to neutralize targeted threats, not retail travel arrangements.

By federal law (18 U.S.C. 3056), the Secret Service's top priority is absolute protection of the President of the United States.

When a credible threat emerges, operational protocol dictates that every action, including movement, timing, transport logistics, and communication, is subordinate to keeping the Commander-in-Chief safe and moving them out of danger immediately. Everyone else on board, including staff and press, is managed under that singular security mandate.

This priority is rooted in both statute (the protective mandate under 18 U.S.C. § 3056) and long-standing doctrine. In these moments, the POTUS is not treated as one passenger among many , he is the sole protectee whose safety overrides all other concerns.

This is the next escape plan................

4 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

Nothing wrong with sneaking trump out if there is a security threat. That’s SOP.

The problem is using civilians as your decoy shield without even telling them that they are in danger!

That’s the mark of a coward.

You obviously don't understand what the Secret Service priorities are and the protocols in place!

On 8/12/2026 at 11:51 AM, Thingamabob said:

Much ado about very little. Trump was merely following the directive of the US security services.

Indeed and its their number one priority to make sure he remains safe!

I don't understand why some of the posters on this thread don't understand that!

50 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

Indeed and its their number one priority to make sure he remains safe!

I don't understand why some of the posters on this thread don't understand that!

It is also the remit of all security personnel to ensure the safety of all innocent bystanders when possible!

In this case the remaining people on board AF1 deserved to be placed in a safe situation by the security personnel declaring an AF1 engine defect or some other "problem"!

PS; The safety of all is of greater importance than letting the supposed threat continue just in case it leads you to the perpetrators of the alleged threat!

Edited August 13Aug 13 by scottiejohn

Bet there was some interesting conversations on AF1 when they realized trump wasn’t aboard ehh?bet it’s going to do wonders for all the staff that works for him to realize finally just what they are.next time make the dude fly coach commercial on some seedy airlines.

2 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

You obviously don't understand what the Secret Service priorities are and the protocols in place!

I understand and appreciate the fact that getting trump to safety is the first and overriding concern. So they got him out in a lunch wagon, spirited him onto a different plane, and took off. Why didn't they announce a delay to Air Force One due to technical problems, and then, when trump publicly landed in the UK, let AF1 depart safely?

Who uses civilians as a human shield? What kind of megalomaniac forces people, without their consent, to take their place on the bullseye?
And you admire this man?

15 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

I understand and appreciate the fact that getting trump to safety is the first and overriding concern. So they got him out in a lunch wagon, spirited him onto a different plane, and took off. Why didn't they announce a delay to Air Force One due to technical problems, and then, when trump publicly landed in the UK, let AF1 depart safely?

Who uses civilians as a human shield? What kind of megalomaniac forces people, without their consent, to take their place on the bullseye?
And you admire this man?

Where did I say I 'admire this man' ......???

To your point, human shielding involves placing civilians in front of a target to deter an attack.

A decoy operation—such as using an unmarked transport while maintaining routine flight patterns for the main aircraft, is a standard security tactic used globally to deny adversaries any intelligence on a high-value target's location.

Air Force One is not an undefended target, but probably the most secure, hardened, and countermeasure-equipped aircraft in existence.

Tactical decisions during active threat scenario are dictated by Secret Service protocols to maintain operational security, not executive ego.

Announcing a fake "technical delay" would immediately signal a change in plans to hostile tracking assets, heightening risk rather than mitigating it.