The switch took place on July 8. Trump had initially boarded Air Force One alongside both officials and members of the press, just as usual. But before departure, he slipped away on a catering truck and was secretly driven to a military aircraft instead. Technically, the name “Air Force One” refers to whichever plane the president happens to be on at the time, so once Trump left, the original aircraft kept using that call sign and effectively became a decoy.
