Reports indicate that Leavitt resigned 24 hours after discovering Trump had left her on a plane targeted for an assassination attempt.
Trump himself, when asked why he acted this way, stated that it was quite the opposite: he secretly left his "good" plane and moved to a "bad" one to be alone and avoid endangering his staff.
The departure of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt unexpectedly coincided with the revelation of an unusual story about how Donald Trump secretly left the presidential plane due to a potential assassination threat. This timing quickly sparked speculation on social media: was this particular story the final straw for Leavitt?
The operation itself indeed took place. While Trump was returning from Turkey, American special services received intelligence regarding a potential threat to his safety. Following recommendations from the Secret Service and the military, it was decided to discreetly transfer the president to another, smaller government plane.
To achieve this, Trump was secretly taken from the airport grounds and escorted to the other aircraft, while the plane where the president was supposedly meant to be continued its flight. This aircraft effectively served as a decoy plane. On board were White House staff, security personnel, journalists, and high-ranking officials. Among them, according to American media, were Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.
The story remained secret for several weeks and only became public in August.
Trump himself later confirmed that the transfer indeed occurred. According to him, the decision was primarily made by Secret Service agents and military personnel who insisted that the president fly on a different aircraft. Trump emphasized that he virtually did not dispute their recommendations and did not consider himself frightened by what happened.
Responding to questions about the plane change, Trump stated something to the effect of: he complied with the Secret Service. They decided it was safer that way. He moved from the "good" plane to another to avoid putting people at risk. This version sounds logical for a person who has already been the target of assassination attempts multiple times.
So, what remains?
Two real events:
- Leavitt is leaving for family reasons.
- Trump did indeed change planes in Turkey due to a threat.
The story garnered particular attention after news broke of Karoline Leavitt's departure from her role as White House press secretary shortly after its media appearance.
Trump announced that Leavitt would leave her post at the end of August. The official reason is entirely different: the 28-year-old press secretary decided to devote more time to her family and two young children. She recently returned from leave after the birth of her second child. Trump publicly stated that he understands and respects her decision, and that Leavitt is expected to continue working with him as an external advisor.
It was the proximity of these two events that sparked the rumor that Leavitt purportedly decided to resign after learning the details of the decoy plane operation.
However, there is currently no evidence to support this version. Major American media outlets do not report that Leavitt linked her decision to the incident in Turkey. Nor is there confirmation of the widely circulated claim that she resigned precisely "24 hours" after discovering she had been on the decoy plane.
Furthermore, it was not an immediate resignation that was officially announced, but rather that Leavitt would depart from her position at the end of August. She is also not entirely severing ties with Trump and, according to the president's statement, will remain one of his external advisors.
Therefore, as of today, this remains a curious coincidence that has fueled numerous speculations on social media.
The story of Trump's secret transfer itself remains unusual: the US president left the main aircraft due to a potential assassination threat, while dozens of his team members continued their flight on the plane serving as a diversionary target. And almost immediately after the details of the operation became public, one of the most recognizable figures in his administration announced her impending departure.
