Donald Trump says security threats forced removal of US bombers from UK base

United States President Donald Trump stated on 5 October 2026 that threats forced the military to withdraw bombers from a British airbase. RTE, Bloomberg, and News18 reported that Mr Trump told reporters the aircraft did not fly out by accident from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. The withdrawal follows the removal of all American B-1 bombers from the base on Sunday, as FTMQ News reported earlier. [1][2][3][4][7]

RTE reported that United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier tried to downplay the withdrawal. Mr Rubio declined to link the departure of the aircraft to a recent suspected terror plot that targeted the military base. However, Mr Trump later confirmed that the planes were moved in direct response to threats. [1]

The military withdrawal comes after Gloucestershire Constabulary arrested five London-based British men on 27 September 2026 in Whelford, a village near RAF Fairford. According to police reports and previous coverage by FTMQ News, 85 homes near the base were evacuated following suspicious activity. The five men were held under the Explosives Act 1875 and the Terrorism Act 2006 before being released on bail. [6][7]