Leon Panetta Raises Security Concerns Over Trump's Use of Qatari Jet

Leon Panetta, former CIA Director and Secretary of Defense, expressed concerns regarding President Donald Trump's decision to not use a Qatari jet gifted to him and instead fly on a classic VC-25 model of Air Force One. During an appearance on MS NOW's The Moment with Katy Tur, Panetta questioned the security implications of using a foreign-made aircraft, stating that there could be risks associated with intelligence gathering. He highlighted that the Qatari jet has not been confirmed to have the same defense systems as Air Force One. Panetta suggested that the decision to switch planes might not be related to maintenance issues, as the Qatari jet is new, and speculated that there could be other factors at play, including concerns over the president's safety amid tensions with Iran. Trump had previously mentioned on Truth Social that the decision was made to honor military personnel by displaying the new jet at Mildenhall Air Force Base in England. He also noted that he was concerned for his safety, referring to himself as 'number one on the kill list for Iran.'