Former Air Force Secretary Loses Security Clearance After Leak

WHO:

CNN - Frank Kendall, former Secretary of the Air Force

CNN - Sean Parnell, Chief Pentagon spokesman

CNN - President Trump

WHAT:

CNN - The Pentagon revoked Frank Kendall’s access to classified information and his ability to hold sensitive positions.

Fox News - The revocation was due to an “unauthorized disclosure” regarding Air Force One’s capabilities.

WHERE:

CNN - The action was taken by the Pentagon, which is part of the Department of War.

WHY:

CNN - The revocation followed Kendall’s unauthorized disclosure of classified information about Air Force One to a media outlet, which concerned safety issues related to the Qatari-gifted plane.

CNN - The disclosure reportedly infuriated Trump and led to a leak investigation.

HOW:

CNN - The leak investigation included subpoenaing New York Times reporters and requesting White House officials to turn over their phones.

(UPDATED August 8, 2026 00:44 UTC)

The Pentagon has revoked Frank Kendall's access to classified information and his ability to hold sensitive positions due to an unauthorized disclosure regarding Air Force One's capabilities. This action, which reportedly angered Trump, followed Kendall's sharing of classified details about safety issues related to the Qatari-gifted plane with a media outlet, prompting a leak investigation that included subpoenaing New York Times reporters and requesting White House officials to turn over their phones. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the revocation, which is part of the Department of War's response to the incident.