Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump's closest aide, and FBI Director Kash Patel personally led a sweeping investigation last week at the White House. The probe aimed to discover who leaked information about the security deficiencies of a Qatari-gifted airplane meant to serve as Air Force One. According to sources familiar with the matter, investigators asked some officials to turn over their mobile phones on White House grounds.
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Subscribe Sekarang →President Trump grew angry over disclosures about the new plane. His administration quickly started an intense leak investigation that shook the government. As the inquiry unfolded, at least one federal agency sent an email warning employees. The message stated that if outside agencies requested information or devices, employees needed to contact their own agency's attorneys immediately.
Sources stated that Patel canceled a planned trip to Chicago and went to the White House on Friday to take a hands-on role in the probe. The operation became public the following morning. The New York Times reported that the Justice Department had issued subpoenas to four of its journalists who wrote about the security concerns of the new plane.
Patel worked from an office next to Wiles for roughly seven hours. The two officials established a "war room" in the West Wing. Investigators sought information from those who traveled with Trump or helped manage the trip, including officials across various agencies. Not all officials who were asked to surrender their devices did so, one source noted.
The operation shows the extent to which the White House was willing to control a law enforcement investigation. This marks a significant breach of the Justice Department's historic independence, though such actions have become common in the Trump administration. Reports indicate Trump also spoke with Patel on the phone regarding the leak investigation.
Journalists and free press advocates criticized the Justice Department's decision to subpoena the New York Times journalists, calling it an affront to the First Amendment. The newspaper is fighting the order in court. "Today, The New York Times filed a motion to quash the abusive and improper subpoenas issued to three of our journalists," David McCraw, the top newsroom lawyer for the Times, said Wednesday.
The concerns over the new, 400 million dollar Qatari-gifted jet dominated discussions in Washington. Trump abruptly announced he was sending the new plane ahead to Mildenhall Air Force Base in England just before he left a NATO summit in Turkey. Trump claimed on social media that the change was meant to give United States service members at the base a chance to tour the aircraft.
Trump departed on an older plane, then switched back to the new jet at a secure airbase in the United Kingdom. He denied that security concerns caused the switch, though sources confirmed otherwise. "There wasn't a security concern, except we sent it a little early, same line going back," Trump said.
Sources stated that after Trump arrived in Turkey for the summit, the security assessment changed. Wiles informed Trump that he needed to leave the country on an older vessel. The Qatari plane had been quickly retrofitted with defense capabilities but remained less secure than the older version, which was built to protect presidents during overseas travel.
One official stated the 747 gifted by Qatar was largely seen by the military and Secret Service as having been rushed into service. By contrast, two new jets acquired during Trump's first term face delays and are not expected to be ready until at least 2028. This delay is due to the complex installation of communication systems, defensive countermeasures, and pilot training.
The exact security differences between the old and new planes remain unclear. Aviation observers who studied pictures of the aircraft noted that the new plane appears to lack external modifications on the tail cone for a directional infrared missile defense system. However, the absence of visible features does not definitively prove which systems are installed.