'TMZ' Just Made A Powerful Point About Trump's Secret Air Force One Plane Swap Due To Iran Threat—And Wow

Following a report that President Donald Trump secretly swapped planes as he left last month's NATO summit in response to a possible threat from Iran, TMZ founder Harvey Levin openly questioned why Air Force One was still allowed to take off with reporters and White House staff if Trump was believed to be in "imminent danger."

According to The Washington Post, he was initially seen boarding Air Force One as television cameras recorded the departure, but was then secretly transferred to a smaller military jet using a catering truck positioned on the opposite side of the aircraft. Journalists and some White House staff aboard the presidential plane were reportedly unaware of the switch.

Officials said that U.S. authorities had identified a credible Iranian threat to launch a missile at Trump's aircraft, though the White House has not publicly confirmed that the security threat prompted the change.

The reported maneuver came shortly after Trump had declared himself Iran's "number one target" during a summit in Ankara, Turkey, and a day after the United States resumed strikes against Iran following the collapse of negotiations aimed at ending the war.

Footage shows the catering truck being used to move Trump without attracting attention.

But Air Force One was allowed to take off with reporters and White House staff aboard, which Levin suggested does not pass the sniff test:

"The story of Donald Trump getting on a catering truck from Air Force One and then going on a smaller plane to leave Turkey is astonishing enough. It's scary that there was this kind of a threat, but one of the elements of this incredible story has kind of been tempered for some reason. … I'm not sure at all why it's been tempered."

"I'm told there were more than a dozen members of the White House pool, reporters, along with a handful of White House staff, and military personnel, in addition to these uniformed flight attendants who were on the old Air Force One, and for some reason, they allowed that airplane to take off and fly to London through Turkish airspace when presumably there was a severe security threat such that Donald Trump could not take that state-of-the-art airplane to London."

"That's just unbelievable that if there was this kind of a threat, why would they let that airplane fly, Air Force One, because the idea of putting Trump in the catering truck and then getting him onto another aircraft, well, what they were trying to show was that for all intents and purposes people would believe Trump was still on the old Air Force One."

"And if he was still on the old Air Force One and there was a security threat targeting that aircraft, the Iranians would have believed that Trump was on the old Air Force One. That was the whole point, and yet he wasn't. But these unsuspecting reporters, White House staff and military personnel were on that plane, and they flew."

"The idea that these unsuspecting reporters and others, White House staff, just didn't know — is pretty remarkable. The big thing that they just have not answered is: why would you allow the old Air Force One to take off if there was that kind of imminent danger?"

You can hear what Levin said in the video below.

Others are wondering the same, questioning the White House's narrative.

To make matters worse, the journalists and some White House staff traveling aboard Air Force One were reportedly instructed to keep the aircraft's window shades closed, without being told that Trump had already been moved to another plane.

A pool producer traveling with the press described the request as unusual. When a photographer briefly raised a shade, he was immediately told to lower it again and was informed that the order had come from the Secret Service.

The producer also noted that two catering trucks appeared to be positioned near the front and rear of the aircraft when reporters arrived. Because the press van was too far back in the airport motorcade, journalists were also unable to photograph Trump boarding the plane.

Trump ultimately traveled to Britain aboard the smaller C-32A before returning to the older Air Force One. He was photographed leaving that aircraft after it landed at RAF Mildenhall, although it remains unclear how he was transferred from the C-32A to the presidential jet. Trump later switched again, boarding the newer Air Force One donated by Qatar for the final leg back to Washington.

During that flight, Trump discussed the threat from Iran with reporters but did not disclose the earlier aircraft switch. Asked why the press had been ordered to keep the shades closed during the flight from Turkey, he said they were "probably on a dangerous flight" because of the threats facing him.

Trump said he faces a threat to his life "all the time" and reiterated that he considers himself "number one" on Iran's target list. He then appeared to warn the reporters traveling with him that they could also be at risk, asking, "But if I go, you go, right?" before joking that they might someday want to "change professions."