Clinton Used Decoy Aircraft for 2000 Pakistan Visit, Preceding Similar Trump Move

In 2000, President Bill Clinton departed India for Pakistan on an unmarked aircraft that trailed the official Air Force One. The switch was disclosed after he disembarked in Islamabad, where he spent six hours on a tightly secured visit.

White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart and other officials briefed the White House press corps on the security arrangements, and a reporter who later served as president of the White House Correspondents Association was given an off-the-record explanation of the precautions. The journalist noted that a separate chartered press plane carried a larger group of reporters, while a smaller pool accompanied the president on the decoy flight.

The practice of using a limited pool of journalists to monitor a president’s movements is standard for U.S. leaders, intended to ensure independent observation of the president’s safety, especially during heightened security concerns. The Clinton decoy flight was later referenced in reports about President Donald Trump’s similar use of a military aircraft for a July departure from Turkey amid security threats.