White House Launches Investigation After Security Leak on Qatari Boeing 747 for Air Force One

Last week, White House Chief of Staff Suzy Wiles and FBI Director Kash Patel personally led an extensive investigation into a leak regarding security flaws in a Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar to the United States, intended to serve as the presidential aircraft "Air Force One." The probe was initiated after President Donald Trump expressed anger over reports about the plane's security issues, prompting a broad leak investigation that shook the administration.

As part of the inquiry, several senior officials were asked to hand over their mobile phones to investigators operating within the White House complex. Investigators also gathered information from individuals who accompanied Trump on his travels and from senior federal agency personnel. However, not all requested parties complied with the phone surrender. Patel, who was en route to Chicago, was ordered back to the White House on Friday to actively manage the investigation, working alongside Wiles in a so-called "war room" in the West Wing.

The investigation became public after The New York Times reported that the Department of Justice issued subpoenas to four of its journalists who covered the security concerns about the new plane. This move drew sharp criticism from press freedom organizations, which argued it violated the First Amendment. The newspaper sought to have the subpoenas overturned, calling them "harmful and inappropriate."

A White House source told CNN that leaks endangering the president's security, his staff, and accompanying media personnel pose a national security threat. The administration is committed to using all legal means to identify those responsible and prevent future incidents.

The $400 million Qatari plane was sent ahead to the U.S. Air Force base in Mildenhall, UK, while Trump traveled to the NATO summit in Turkey on the older presidential plane. Trump stated this was to allow U.S. troops at the base to tour the new aircraft. However, sources told CNN the real reason was an updated security assessment indicating the new plane did not yet offer the same protection level as the older model. Although the Qatari plane was quickly equipped with defense systems, military and intelligence officials believed it was rushed into service.

Meanwhile, two new Air Force One planes purchased during Trump's first term remain under development and are not expected to be operational before 2028 due to the need for classified communication and defense systems installation and specialized crew training.