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U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he would not be flying home on the newly delivered Air Force One after departing Türkiye following the NATO summit in Ankara, while also openly acknowledging that Iran considers him its primary assassination target.
Asked twice at a news conference why he was leaving the country on a different aircraft, Trump offered a promotional explanation rather than a security one, saying the new plane would stop at military bases so troops could see it. "It's going to go to a couple of bases, so the soldiers can see it," he said, describing the aircraft as "magnificent."
When pressed directly by a New York Post reporter on whether security concerns factored into the decision, Trump sidestepped the question. He instead offered a broad reflection on the dangers of the presidency, comparing it to bull riding and race car driving.
"The life of a president is very dangerous," he said, before adding that Iran had placed him at the top of its kill list. "I'm number one because they're scum. That's the way they act."
Iran has previously been linked to assassination plots targeting Trump. His comments came on the same day he teased the possibility of military strikes against Tehran, while still on Turkish soil and within range of Iranian missiles.
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In a striking aside, Trump reflected at length on the elimination of senior Iranian figures, suggesting the cycle of replacements had left the regime hollowed out. "All of it's gone. Everything's gone. Their leaders are gone," he said. "They had another set of leaders. They're gone now. They have another set of leaders. They may be gone. Who knows?" He then added, "I may be gone too, because I'm the number one target."
Trump also questioned the mental stability of Iran's current leadership, calling them "a little loco" while making a corresponding gesture, and describing them as "scum." He noted that American negotiators dealing with Tehran included Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying Iran was "dealing with great people."
On the subject of falling oil prices, Trump attributed the drop to what he described as the clearing of tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, and used the moment to offer a sweeping self-assessment. "I predicted everything. I've been right about everything. And I have been for a long time," he said. "That's how I got to be president."
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