OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:27 PM – Friday, August 7, 2026
The Pentagon has revoked former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall's eligibility to access classified information and barred him from holding any sensitive position, citing an alleged unauthorized disclosure of classified information regarding Air Force One's capabilities to a media outlet.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the immediate decision on Friday, stating that safeguarding classified information is a non-negotiable duty and that those who violate that trust forfeit the privilege of access and any role requiring it.
Parnell did not identify the specific media outlet.
The action follows public reporting, including from The New York Times, on security concerns involving the Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 that has been used as a temporary Air Force One.
Those accounts detailed that the aircraft, after a compressed retrofit, lacked certain "advanced defensive features" found on older Air Force One models.
Kendall — who served as the 26th Secretary of the Air Force under former President Joe Biden — was quoted in the coverage saying the timeline did not permit "all the normal Air Force One modifications," that some mix of security, communications and support capabilities was missing, that he was surprised the plane was used outside the United States, and that the shortfalls added a measure of risk, particularly amid tensions with Iran.
The reporting prompted a federal leak investigation.
The Justice Department issued subpoenas to New York Times journalists in an effort to identify confidential sources. After criticism from press-freedom advocates and a federal judge regarding procedural issues, the department withdrew the subpoenas.
The revocation of Kendall's clearance occurs amid a larger effort by War Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Trump administration to enforce security protocols and restrict access for certain former national security officials accused of unauthorized disclosures.
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