Iran Embassy Claims Karoline Leavitt Resigned Because Of Decoy Plane 'Betrayal'—But It's Unlikely She Was On Jet

Aug 16, 2026 03:02 AM - 2 hours ago 3

Topline

An Iranian embassy pushed the societal media conspiracy that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt resigned from her occupation this week because President Donald Trump near her connected the level he evacuated successful Turkey to evade an alleged threat from Iran—but it’s improbable she was really connected the alleged decoy flight.

U.S. President Donald Trump is accompanied by U.S. Air Force Col. Christopher M. Robinson (C) and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt (R) arsenic he walks to committee Air Force One connected August 14, 2026 astatine Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

The embassy of Iran successful South Africa posted a photograph of Leavitt connected X Saturday and commended her resignation, writing, "betrayal is awful. When your leader betrays you and sends you successful danger, while he escapes successful a nutrient truck, you suffer each dream for camaraderie. Of course, you can’t expect overmuch much from a murderer.”

Social media conspiracists speculated this week that Leavitt resigned complete the incident—when Trump hid successful a catering motortruck to beryllium moved disconnected Air Force One and onto different level while departing Turkey past period to evade an alleged threat from Iran, according to multiple reports.

The White House disputed the rumor, telling the fact-checking website Snopes, “this is not true, she was not connected the trip.”

New York Times newsman Maggie Haberman, who reported connected the ruse, besides told Snopes neither she nor Leavitt were connected the flight.

Leavitt gave commencement to her 2nd kid May 1 and returned to the White House podium connected July 16, though she was backmost astatine activity respective weeks earlier, posting a photograph of herself aboard the caller Air Force One pitchy talented from Qatar connected July 1, erstwhile it made its inaugural formation to South Dakota.

Leavitt announced connected Wednesday she was resigning from her domiciled to walk much clip pinch her family, penning that since returning from maternity leave, she feels she “cannot beryllium the champion mom my 2 young children merit while devoting the changeless time, energy, and attraction required of the White House Press Secretary.”

Tangent

Leavitt, who is expected to time off her occupation astatine the extremity of the month, called her determination “bittersweet” and said she will “always stay a vocal advocator for MAGA and the Republican Party.” Trump said he understood and respected Leavitt’s determination successful a Truth Social post, adding that she will beryllium 1 of his “top extracurricular advisors, and an influential sound wrong the Republican Party.”

Key Background

Trump was secretly shuttled disconnected an Air Force One pitchy and taken to a smaller, Air Force Boeing C-32A level via a catering motortruck conscionable earlier departing Ankara, Turkey, connected July 8 aggregate outlets reported. Trump initially said he would return the older Air Force One plane, alternatively of the recently outfitted pitchy from Qatar that he flew to Turkey on, “for aged time’s sake.” He took a prime fewer aides pinch him, including Natalie Harp and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but near 2 furniture members, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on pinch different aides and journalists connected the travel to Turkey, connected the alleged decoy flight, the New York Times reported. The cognition happened aft U.S. intelligence officials wished a reliable threat against the president involving Iran, according to multiple outlets. The legitimacy of the threat, reportedly initiated by Israeli intelligence, has been wide disputed, including by immoderate CIA officials, according to multiple outlets. Iranian authorities media and Iran’s embassy successful South Africa mocked the ruse, posting memes of Trump pictured wrong of catering carts afloat of food.