The Trump administration's decision to revoke the security clearance of former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall amounts to an implicit admission that his public statements about the president's problem-plagued $400 million jet were accurate, according to political analyst Bill Kristol.

On Friday, Sean Parnell, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, announced that Kendall would no longer be permitted to access classified information. 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," Parnell added. "Those who violate that trust forfeit the privilege of access and any role requiring it."

Kristol, editor-at-large at The Bulwark and a prominent conservative commentator, responded on X: "In other words, Kendall — and many others — were telling the truth about the Trump/Hegseth/Qatar Air Force One fiasco."

The reference to "Hegseth" pertains to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who oversees the Defense Department. The "Qatar Air Force One" refers to a Boeing 747-8 gifted by the government of Qatar, valued at approximately $400 million, which the Trump administration has sought to use as a replacement for the current Air Force One fleet. The gift drew scrutiny under the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, which prohibits federal officials from accepting presents from foreign governments without congressional consent.

Kendall, who served as Secretary of the Air Force under President Joe Biden, has been cited in both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal in stories scrutinizing the security features of Trump's Boeing 747. Those outlets reported that the aircraft lacked defensive countermeasures that the president had publicly claimed it possessed.

In those reports, Kendall said he was "surprised to see this plane used outside the U.S." and expressed skepticism that the plane had been "maxed out" with security features. Presidential aircraft typically require extensive defensive systems, including countermeasures against missile threats, secure communications, and hardened electronics.

The push to use the Qatari aircraft comes as Boeing's contracted replacement program for Air Force One, based on two 747-8 airframes designated VC-25B, has faced years of delays and cost overruns.

On Saturday, Kendall told the Wall Street Journal that he was "mystified" as to why his security clearance had been revoked.

"I've been extremely careful to not say anything that could be classified," Kendall reportedly said. "As far as I know I have not said anything classified."