US president Donald Trump denied security fears were behind a brief stop in the UK on his way home from the Nato summit in Turkey.
Trump changed planes at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk on Wednesday night, continuing his journey home from Ankara on the new Air Force One which was given to him by Qatar.
Asked by reporters after resuming the journey if he was aware of credible threats to the plane, Trump said: “I have a threat all the time. I’m number one of their list.”
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He repeated his earlier comments on social media that the plane was sent to Mildenhall to allow US service members to see it.
He earlier posted on Truth Social: “To honor our brave men and women of the Military, we are sending the brand new, and truly spectacular, Air Force One to Mildenhall Air Force Base, in the United Kingdom, to give them a chance to tour the Aircraft…”
The trip to Ankara was the first international trip for the new plane.
He later posted a picture of service members in front of the plane and described them as “very excited”.
Trump earlier said he flew from Turkey to the UK on board the previous Air Force One “for old time’s sake” with reporters asked to keep window blinds drawn during the flight.
The president, who said he was not asked to keep blinds closed in his compartment, said the request was probably because of “sleazebags over here” in an apparent reference to Iran.
Mildenhall is a main refuelling station for military and VIP aircraft.