DAILY BS BULLETIN:
- The Pentagon revoked former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall’s security clearance over an alleged Air Force One disclosure.
- Kendall says he is “completely mystified” and denies revealing classified information.
- Officials have not identified what classified information Kendall allegedly disclosed, nor announced whether he faces a criminal investigation.
Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall is denying that he disclosed classified information after the Pentagon revoked his security clearance over comments concerning the capabilities of President Donald Trump’s Qatari-donated Air Force One.
Kendall, who led the Air Force under President Joe Biden from 2021 through 2025, told the Associated Press late Friday that he was “completely mystified” by the action.
“I’ve always been extremely careful to not say anything classified, and as far as I know I have not.”
“No one has said anything to me about what I’m asserted to have revealed,” Kendall added, “and I can’t imagine what it could be.”
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the revocation in a sharply worded statement:
“Effective immediately, the Department of War has REVOKED former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall’s eligibility for access to classified information and his ability to hold any sensitive position.”
Parnell said the decision followed Kendall’s “unauthorized disclosure of classified information regarding Air Force One’s capabilities to a media outlet.”
“Safeguarding classified information is a non-negotiable duty. Those who violate that trust forfeit the privilege of access and any role requiring it.”
The Pentagon has not publicly identified the supposedly classified information, the news organization that received it or whether Kendall could face criminal charges.
The dispute follows reporting about security shortcomings aboard the Boeing 747 donated by Qatar and converted into an interim presidential aircraft.
Kendall told The New York Times in July:
“People need to be aware it has a lot of shortfalls compared to Air Force One; they do add a measure of risk.”
He also publicly questioned whether the accelerated retrofit included the full command, communications and defensive systems normally installed aboard presidential aircraft.
The Trump administration insisted the plane was safe. But the president temporarily returned to an older Air Force One while the Qatari jet underwent additional work that Trump said would leave it “maxed out.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the aircraft was “perfectly safe” but would receive further security upgrades.
The Air Force reportedly spent less than $400 million converting the plane, although outside estimates placed the potential cost substantially higher.
The Justice Department previously subpoenaed four New York Times journalists while trying to identify sources for stories about the aircraft. Prosecutors also sought phone records involving reporters’ relatives.
The department withdrew those subpoenas after U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian questioned whether the government had followed federal protections governing investigations of journalists.
The clearance action against Kendall suggests the administration’s source hunt continued even after that courtroom retreat.
Kendall now serves as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. Losing his clearance could restrict his ability to work on classified government or defense projects.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- Associated Press: Pentagon revokes former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall’s access to classified information
- New York Post: Pentagon accuses former Air Force secretary of leaking Air Force One information
- The Wall Street Journal: Hegseth strips security clearance from Biden’s Air Force secretary
- CBS News: Trump returns to older Air Force One while Qatar-donated jet receives upgrades
