The Pentagon moved Friday to strip former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall of access to classified information, alleging he improperly shared sensitive details about Air Force One with members of the press.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the decision on X, writing, “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 action was tied to what he described as Kendall’s “unauthorized disclosure of classified information regarding Air Force One’s capabilities to a media outlet,” adding that “Safeguarding classified information is a non-negotiable duty.”
“Those who violate that trust forfeit the privilege of access and any role requiring it,” Parnell continued.
The move comes after the Trump administration last month subpoenaed several New York Times journalists following the paper’s report that a luxury Boeing 747, valued at $400 million and gifted to President Trump by Qatar, was replaced before the president returned from the NATO summit in Turkey due to a “security precaution.”
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According to the Times, officials had concerns that the newly refurbished aircraft had not been “retrofitted with sufficient security measures” before being used as Air Force One.
The report also referenced lawmakers raising questions about whether the Qatari-gifted jet had received “an advanced missile defense system and other modifications.”
Days after those subpoenas were issued, War Secretary Pete Hegseth said a joint task force with the Department of Justice would be formed to track down and prosecute officials accused of leaking “sensitive information” to the media.
Kendall served as the secretary of the Air Force between July 2021 and January 2025, under former President Joe Biden.
He did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
