Members of Trump's cabinet remained on decoy plane, after Trump's quiet exit
The president boarded a different plane in Turkey during a Nato summit to evade an Iranian threat.
Following a discreet departure by US President Donald Trump from a decoy aircraft last month in Turkey, two of his cabinet members stayed on board, CBS News reports.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained on the plane, which was widely believed to be Air Force One. They did not accompany Trump on a separate flight arranged due to security concerns related to Iran.
On July 8, after boarding Air Force One with both officials and members of the press, Trump covertly transferred to a military plane by hiding in a catering truck.
While "Air Force One" designates any aircraft carrying the president, in this instance, the initial plane retained the call signal, effectively making it a decoy.
CBS, the BBC's US partner, indicates that Rubio and Bessent stayed on the first aircraft to preserve the line of succession should any incident befall Trump.
In the event of the president's death or incapacitation, Vice-President JD Vance would assume power, followed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and then the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. The Secretary of State is next in line, with the Treasury Secretary following.
Among others who remained on the initial Air Force One-designated aircraft were White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Steven Cheung, the White House's communications director.
The BBC has reached out to the White House for comment.