White House Officials Required to Submit Phones Amid Leak Inquiry

WHO:

CNN - Chief of staff Susie Wiles, FBI Director Kash Patel, President Trump, and various unnamed officials involved in the investigation.

WHAT:

CNN - Officials at the White House were asked to turn over their phones as part of a leak investigation regarding security deficiencies of a Qatari-gifted airplane intended for use as Air Force One.

CNN - The investigation was described as a "sprawling" effort orchestrated by Wiles and Patel.

CNN - The new plane, valued at $400 million, was sent ahead to England’s Mildenhall Air Force Base before Trump departed a NATO summit in Turkey.

CNN - Trump stated, “Everybody is so excited, and we thought that they should be the first,” regarding the plane's early arrival.

CNN - Trump switched back to an older plane at a secure US airbase in the UK after initially departing on the new plane.

WHERE:

CNN - The investigation took place on White House grounds.

CNN - The new plane was sent to England’s Mildenhall Air Force Base.

WHEN:

CNN - The investigation became public early the next morning after the New York Times reported on it.

CNN - The new jets acquired as part of a deal Trump renegotiated during his first term are not expected to be ready until at least 2028.

WHY:

CNN - The investigation was initiated after Trump expressed anger over disclosures about the new plane's security issues.

CNN - Concerns arose regarding the new plane's security capabilities compared to the older version, which was built to protect presidents during overseas travel.

HOW:

CNN - Investigators sought information from officials who traveled with Trump or had a role in the trip, including requests for cell phones.

CNN - Patel was diverted to the White House to take a hands-on role in the investigation, establishing a "war room" next to Wiles’ office.

(UPDATED July 15, 2026 21:21 UTC)

A sprawling investigation into security deficiencies of a Qatari-gifted airplane intended for use as Air Force One has led officials at the White House, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and FBI Director Kash Patel, to turn over their phones. The new plane, valued at $400 million, was sent to England’s Mildenhall Air Force Base before Trump departed a NATO summit in Turkey, although he later switched back to an older plane at a secure U.S. airbase in the UK after expressing concerns about the new aircraft's security capabilities. The investigation was launched following Trump's anger over disclosures regarding the plane's security issues, and it is expected that the new jets from a deal he renegotiated during his first term will not be ready until at least 2028.