22:45 / 10.02.2025

A "food plane" was used to protect Trump because of the threat from Iran

^{Brian Snyder / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA}
Donald Trump's security service took extraordinary precautions during the 2024 election campaign after law enforcement learned that Iran had introduced secret spies into the United States capable of using surface-to-air missiles. This was reported by Axios on February 9, citing journalist Alex Eisenstadt's book "Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump's Return to Power," which is expected to be published on March 18.

Eisenstadt, citing Trump aides, said that after the second assassination attempt on the politician in Florida on September 15, 2024, the security services began using a dummy plane, that is, a plane without Trump on board. His team feared that the Iranians would shoot down his easily recognizable private jet, known as Trump Force One, during takeoff or landing.

In the end, most of the aides flew to the next campaign event on Trump Force One, while Trump himself flew on a plane owned by his friend Steve Witkoff (now Trump's Middle East envoy). Most of the aides only learned of the secret plan on the eve of the flight, when they saw that Trump's seat by the window was empty. According to Eisenstadt, some of the staffers were worried that they would become "cannon fodder" if the plane was shot down. At the same time, campaign leaders tried to reassure staff that they would not be used as food. Aides questioned why the Iranians had surface-to-air missiles on board if they were secretly carrying them.

Alex Eisenstadt notes that the US Secret Service organized two motorcades that day: one for Trump and the other for his staff. On another occasion, according to the journalist, Secret Service agents disabled a drone that was tracking Trump's motorcade with an electromagnetic cannon.

The New York Times and The Washington Post reported in October 2024 that Trump's campaign had requested military equipment to protect the politician due to the threat from Iran. They requested military aircraft, bulletproof windows, and expanded restrictions on flights over Trump's headquarters and rallies. Trump's rival in the election race, Joe Biden, has ordered the provision of bodyguards to protect him as the "acting president."

These events came after Iran threatened to retaliate against Donald Trump for ordering the assassination of the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Qassem Soleimani, during his first presidency in January 2020. The US Department of Justice reported on November 8 that the corps had prepared to kill Trump, but the FBI thwarted the criminals' plan.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating two assassination attempts on Donald Trump's life. The first of these occurred on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania, when Trump was shot in the ear during a rally. The second assassination attempt occurred on September 15 in Palm Beach, Florida, near the golf club where Trump plays, when the politician was not shot. According to Alex Eisenstadt, Iran was not involved in the assassinations.