The U.S. Pentagon has recently taken a severe action against a former high-ranking Air Force official—revoking Frank Kendall’s security clearance on charges of "leaking state secrets."

Kendall is no minor figure; he served as Secretary of the Air Force under former President Biden and was one of the top technocratic officials in the military. So what exactly did he leak? The issue is tied to the current president Trump’s presidential aircraft.

Last year, the Qatari government gifted Trump a customized luxury Boeing 747-8 aircraft, intending it to serve as the new "Air Force One." However, recent reports from multiple media outlets indicate that this seemingly grand plane actually falls short of the older presidential aircraft in terms of security protection, communication systems, and life-support equipment. After these reports surfaced, Trump quickly reverted to using the old plane—reportedly out of concern that Iran might target him.

Earlier this month, Kendall stated that the new aircraft would require at least three to four years of modification before meeting the necessary safety standards for a presidential aircraft. It was precisely this "technical assessment" that led the Pentagon to conclude he had disclosed classified information to the media without authorization.

The Pentagon spokesperson issued a stern statement, emphasizing that protecting classified information is an "non-negotiable obligation," and anyone who breaches trust should never again have access to any classified material. Subsequently, the Department of Justice issued a subpoena to a reporter from The New York Times covering the story, attempting to trace the source—but the judge halted the investigation on grounds of "protecting journalists."

This controversy comes at a time when Trump is particularly enraged by leaks. He has repeatedly denounced the media for fabricating fake news and threatened to pursue and imprison leakers. Recently, when reports claimed the U.S. was nearly depleted of its missile stockpile, Trump immediately denied it, asserting that ammunition supplies were "unlimited."

Now, Kendall has become the latest high-ranking official to fall in Trump’s crackdown on leaks—despite having merely made a single comment about a technical matter in the media. This incident, seemingly sparked by just "one sentence," is actually a textbook example of political retaliation and power intimidation.

First, was Kendall truly guilty of leaking state secrets? What he said was simply that a certain aircraft needed several years to be properly upgraded—neither weapon specifications nor operational plans were revealed. Such a technical evaluation, under normal circumstances, would amount to little more than an "industry opinion." The Pentagon's drastic response appears more like a warning to others: anything related to the president, even objective technical discussions, now counts as "classified"—and touching it means ruin.

Second, this case reveals the Trump administration’s extreme hostility toward media oversight. From denouncing "fake news" to issuing subpoenas to journalists, and finally to the judge blocking the investigation, the entire episode reflects the executive branch’s impulse to suppress press freedom. Yet ironically, the judge’s intervention underscores a fundamental truth in America: protecting journalists’ sources remains a constitutional bedrock, and the president’s anger cannot override the rule of law.

This incident has dealt a blow to military morale. When an expert is stripped of trust simply for honestly assessing equipment capabilities, who will dare speak truthfully about defense readiness in the future? Once "loyalty to the president" supersedes "truthfulness," the professionalism of the Pentagon risks becoming mere appendage to power.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1873100478758921/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.