Former Air Force Secretary says he’ll sue Trump administration to restore his security clearance

Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has said that he will sue to force the Trump administration to restore his security clearance, which it revoked on Friday after claiming he had disclosed sensitive information about the Qatari-gifted jet now serving as Air Force One.

Mr. Kendall, a West Point graduate who served as President Joe Biden's head of the Air Force, said on CNN on Monday (August 10, 2026) that he'll sue the administration, noting it has a history of retaliating against critics by stripping their clearances. “As my mother taught me years ago, you stand up to bullies,” said Mr. Kendall, who has denied disclosing classified information.

Mark Zaid, a prominent national security attorney who sued the administration after his own clearance was revoked by the Trump administration, confirmed in a post on X that Mr. Kendall had hired him. "More to come," Mr. Zaid wrote.