Secret Service director says Trump NATO summit decoy plane was not a first
Secret Service Director Sean Curran told 60 Minutes the agency has used decoy aircraft before and wishes the NATO summit one hadn't been reported. Trump was reportedly moved to a smaller plane in Turkey in July.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 1Secret Service Director Sean Curran told Norah O'Donnell on CBS's 60 Minutes that he wishes the decision to use a decoy plane for President Donald Trump at the NATO summit had not been reported. CBS NewsLC “Secret Service Director Sean Curran told Norah O'Donnell on 60 Minutes that he wishes the decision to use a decoy plane for President Trump at the NATO summit hadn't been reported.” Read at CBS News ↗ Mixed · 2Curran said: "Look, that's not the first time we've done that," adding that the reporting "takes some of our tactics away from being able to do something similar again." Washington ExaminerR ““Look, that’s not the first time we’ve done that,” Curran said on CBS News’s 60 Minutes.” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ CBS NewsLC “Secret Service director says Trump decoy plane "not first time we've done that"” Read at CBS News ↗ Right · 1According to the Washington Examiner, the maneuver took place when Trump left Ankara in July during the NATO summit, in what the outlet describes as a move to conceal his movements because of an Iranian assassination threat. Washington ExaminerR “Trump’s departure from Ankara during the NATO summit involved an elaborate security maneuver intended to conceal his movements due to an Iranian assassination threat.” Read at Washington Examiner ↗
Right · 1The Examiner reports that Trump was filmed boarding the former Air Force One and minutes later was secretly moved, inside an airport catering truck, to a smaller Air Force C-32A, while the Boeing 747 flew on with media and some White House staff aboard. Washington ExaminerR “After Trump was filmed boarding the former Air Force One, he was secretly transferred minutes later to a smaller military aircraft, an Air Force C-32A.”“The larger Boeing 747 continued to serve as a decoy, with members of the media and some White House staff aboard” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Right · 1It says Trump was joined by War Secretary Pete Hegseth and aides Natalie Harp, Dan Scavino and Walt Nauta, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent flew on the 747 to preserve the line of succession and were reportedly aware of the operation. Washington ExaminerR “Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent flew back from Turkey on the Boeing 747 to preserve the presidential line of succession and were reportedly aware of the operation.” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Right · 1The Examiner says the administration maintained that Trump departed aboard the former Air Force One, and that White House officials kept saying so, leaving the media out of the loop. Washington ExaminerR “The administration maintained that Trump departed Turkey aboard the former Air Force One”“White House officials continued to maintain that he had departed aboard the larger aircraft, leaving the media out of the loop.” Read at Washington Examiner ↗
Right · 1The Examiner also cites precedent: in March 2000 in Islamabad, Bill Clinton was filmed walking toward a military transport plane but boarded an unmarked Gulfstream jet nearby. Washington ExaminerR “During a March 2000 trip to Islamabad, Pakistan, former President Bill Clinton was filmed walking down a red carpet toward a military transport plane.” Read at Washington Examiner ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- CBS News leads with Curran's 60 Minutes remarks, framing the story as the director's regret over the decoy's disclosure.
- Emphasis
- Curran's wish that the decision hadn't been reported.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Details of the maneuver, the Iranian threat and the administration's public statements are not in the CBS item.
- For example
-
“he wishes the decision to use a decoy plane for President Trump at the NATO summit hadn't been reported.” — CBS News
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- The Washington Examiner calls the episode a "stunt" and focuses on the details of the deception, including the administration's continued public account that Trump flew on the larger plane.
- Emphasis
- Catering-truck transfer, who flew where, the administration's denial, and the Clinton precedent.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not note Curran's remarks beyond the quoted lines.
- Charged language
- “stunt”“elaborate security maneuver”
- For example
-
“Secret Service director reveals Trump decoy plane stunt wasn’t the first time” — Washington Examiner
“leaving the media out of the loop” — Washington Examiner
What every side reports
- Curran said on 60 Minutes that using a decoy plane was not the first time.
- Curran wishes the NATO summit decoy had not been reported.
Where accounts differ
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Whether Trump flew on the larger plane
- Right
- The Examiner reports the administration maintained he did, while he was actually moved to a C-32A.
Sean Curran person
Curran says decoy use is not new and that publicity costs the agency tactical options.
“We wish that wasn’t reported because that takes some of our tactics away from being able to do something similar again.” — Washington Examiner
US Secret Service organisation
The Secret Service, via its director, defends the practice and regrets its disclosure.
“he wishes the decision to use a decoy plane for President Trump at the NATO summit hadn't been reported.” — CBS News
Donald Trump person
The administration maintained that Trump left Turkey aboard the former Air Force One, per the Examiner.
“The administration maintained that Trump departed Turkey aboard the former Air Force One” — Washington Examiner
Left1 article
-
Secret Service director says Trump decoy plane "not first time we've done that"
Neutral Short video item centred on Curran's 60 Minutes comments.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
Secret Service director reveals Trump decoy plane stunt wasn’t the first time
Critical Frames the episode as a 'stunt' and stresses the administration's misleading public account.
- 9 Oct 15:29 First CBS NewsLC Secret Service director says Trump decoy plane "not first time we've done that"
- 9 Oct 20:15 +4h 46m Washington ExaminerR Secret Service director reveals Trump decoy plane stunt wasn’t the first time
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.