How We Handled Trump’s Air Force One Ruse

The Pentagon revoked former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall's security clearance on August 7, accusing him of an 'unauthorized disclosure of classified information' about the capabilities of Trump's Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet to a media outlet, in comments Kendall made to the Wall Street Journal comparing the new Boeing 747-8 to older presidential aircraft. Kendall, who served as Air Force secretary under President Biden, denied revealing anything classified and said no one had told him what he was supposed to have disclosed, adding he had been openly critical of the Trump administration since leaving office. The Journal's reporting detailed the newer jet's shortfalls versus the older VC-25A fleet, including lack of midair refueling and reduced hardening against a nuclear blast; the disclosure crackdown followed an earlier leak investigation into the New York Times' original reporting on the plane's safety issues, which included subpoenas of Times reporters and demands that White House staff turn over their phones.

The scrutiny intensified after the Washington Post reported that Trump had secretly switched planes while leaving a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey on July 8, apparently over an unspecified Iranian threat: Trump boarded Air Force One as normal, but was reportedly then transferred via an elevated catering truck to a smaller C-32A military jet on the opposite side of the aircraft, while journalists and staff who remained aboard Air Force One were told to close their window shades and were unaware the president was no longer on the plane. Despite the safety concerns, Trump has continued to praise the retrofitted jet and used it for the NATO trip, though he opted for the older presidential aircraft when departing Turkey; officials have said the plane will still be used for lower-risk domestic and international travel before undergoing the three-to-four years of upgrades Kendall said would be needed to match older jets' defensive capabilities.