The Department of War moved swiftly Friday to strip former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall of his security clearance, accusing him of making an unauthorized disclosure of classified information about Air Force One's capabilities to a media outlet. The action was announced by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell and takes effect immediately.
"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 wrote on X. "This action follows his 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 leak arose in the context of ongoing scrutiny over Air Force One, which has been a flashpoint since the Trump administration took possession of a Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar to serve as a temporary presidential aircraft. The NYT and other outlets had published reporting on the jet's capabilities — reporting the White House viewed as a national security breach significant enough to warrant a formal leak investigation, including DOJ subpoenas to the journalists involved and demands that White House officials turn over their phones.
Kendall, a Biden-era appointee, served as Secretary of the Air Force from 2021 to 2025. A longtime fixture of the defense procurement establishment, he built his career navigating the revolving door between the Pentagon and the defense contractor world. With his clearance now revoked, Kendall loses not just access to classified programs but the ability to hold any sensitive position in the private sector — effectively shutting him out of the consulting, contracting, and lobbying roles that typically follow senior Pentagon service.
The move fits a broader pattern under the current administration: former national security officials who speak to the press about sensitive programs are being held accountable rather than shielded by the institutional deference that has historically protected Washington insiders. Critics in legacy media have framed the clearance revocations as political retaliation. A more skeptical read is that the apparatus that spent decades leaking selectively to friendly reporters — shaping public perception of military programs, foreign policy, and intelligence operations — is finally facing consequences for a practice it long treated as a prerogative of power.
Kendall has not publicly commented on the revocation. The Pentagon did not specify which media outlet received the classified information or what precise details were disclosed.
good, next step start charging them with espionage and treason and hang a few of the sob's. make sure they understand that covering the white house and military is an absolute Privelige, not a right, and they need to show the respect and deference to those institutions for the granting of that Privelige.