Former Air Force chief Frank Kendall says he is preparing to sue the Trump administration after the Pentagon stripped him of his security clearance over comments he made about the president’s controversial new Air Force One jet.
Kendall, who served as Air Force Secretary under President Joe Biden from 2021 to 2025 after decades in national security, said he was stunned to learn Friday that his clearance had been revoked.
The Pentagon accused him of making an unauthorized disclosure of classified information concerning the $400 million aircraft given to Donald Trump by the Qatari government.
Kendall, 77, denied the allegation, telling CNN’s Erin Burnett that he had been careful not to discuss classified material.
“I was initially mystified, because I couldn’t think of anything I’d ever said that was classified, and I had tried very hard not to say anything classified, and was quite sure I had not.”
He said he learned about the decision only after Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced it on X.
“There are some other explanations for why they did this, of course,” Kendall said. “I’ve been a very vocal critic of the administration ever since I left office.”
Kendall now says he has hired attorney Mark Zaid, who has represented national security officials in cases involving security-clearance disputes with the Trump administration.
“Well, I’m gonna sue them. That’s what’s next for me,” Kendall told CNN.
He argued that his case reflects a broader pattern of former national security officials having their clearances revoked without adequate process.
“I will lose some income because of it, and I will lose some opportunities because of it, but, you know, this is one of over a hundred cases where our government has taken away people’s security clearances very arbitrarily, often for political reasons, as a way to attack political enemies, apparently.”
Kendall said he intends to challenge the decision because he believes it was politically motivated and procedurally improper.
“I could be put into that category. I have said some very negative things about the dangers of this administration to the country. As my mother taught me years ago, you stand up to bullies, and I’m gonna try to get this overturned. I think I have a very sound basis to do that.”
He also questioned the process that led to the revocation, saying he was never given an opportunity to respond.
“But I’m quite confident that there was no legitimate basis to remove my clearance, and I’m also confident that there was no due process provided to me. As you mentioned, I found out about this through a tweet. Nobody from the government ever talked to me about this. Nobody asked me any questions. I have no idea what they think I said. I’ve had no opportunity to defend myself. Those are just basic due process rights that we should all have as Americans.”
The dispute centers on the Boeing 747-8 aircraft gifted to Trump by Qatar, which the administration has been spending hundreds of millions of dollars upgrading for presidential use.
The plane reportedly lacks advanced anti-missile technology forcing Trump to switch planes on a recent trip to Turkey because of the conflict with Iran.
The New York Times reported that Kendall had questioned whether the plane was sufficiently equipped for the president, warning that it had “a lot of shortfalls” compared with the existing Air Force One and posed “a measure of risk.”
Kendall said his comments were based on obvious differences in the time and money invested in the aircraft.
“I don’t know anything about that airplane,” he said. “I have made the observation that an airplane that you’ve spent one year on and $400 million will not be as capable as an airplane you spend five years on and $2 billion. That’s inherently obvious.”
The administration has sought to dismiss concerns about the jet’s security.
White House communications director Steven Cheung previously said it is “a state-of-the-art aircraft” equipped with “high-level security protocols.”
The administration has also subpoenaed New York Times reporters who covered the aircraft’s security concerns, although those subpoenas were later withdrawn.
Trump flew the new jet to the NATO summit in Turkey in July but did not use it for the return journey to the United States. The Washington Post reported Monday that Trump was secretly moved to another aircraft via a catering truck after intelligence indicated a potential Iranian assassination threat following renewed U.S. strikes.
Kendall had previously expressed surprise that Trump used the Qatari aircraft during a period of heightened tensions with Iran.
“Time didn’t permit all the normal Air Force One modifications, so some mix of security, communications, and support is missing,” Kendall told The New York Times. “With the Iran situation, this could be of concern. Frankly, I’m surprised to see this plane used outside the U.S.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and the Department of Defense for comment.
