Andrew McKenna Lacks The Qualifications and Judgment To Lead the Air Force
An unqualified campaign donor with no Pentagon experience and a troubling history – including his removal from the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation’s program for safety violations and poor judgment – McKenna lacks the qualifications and judgment needed to lead America’s Air and Space Forces effectively.
Lack of Experience
December 2024: Trump Considered Andrew McKenna For U.S. Air Force Nomination Despite Lack Of Pentagon Experience. According to Daily Kos, “Leave it to Donald Trump to weigh picking Andrew McKenna, a campaign donor who has no Pentagon experience whatsoever, as his nominee to run the United States Air Force.” [Daily Kos, 12/19/24]
Andrew McKenna Lacked Significant Pentagon Experience. According to Politico, “McKenna, a private pilot who heads a small Washington advisory and investment firm, would be the latest of Trump’s picks to take on a top job at the Pentagon without significant experience inside the building.” [Politico, 12/17/24]
Questionable Judgment and Actions
Allegations of Misconduct
McKenna’s Consulting Firm Worked For LIV Golf. According to Politico, “LIV Golf’s tentacles are penetrating deeper into the nation’s capital. The Saudi-bankrolled enterprise, which has been making the rounds on Capitol Hill in recent months, has hired a prominent firm based in Arlington, Va., to help advance its efforts to upend the golf industry. McKenna & Associates, a non-partisan firm headed by Bush administration alum Andrew McKenna, is providing LIV with management consulting services, according to copies of correspondences viewed by POLITICO and people familiar with the arrangement.” [Politico, 10/11/22]
McKenna’s Firm Helped LIV Tack And Monitor Families Of 9/11 Victims Who Protested The Company’s Tour. According to Politico, “The firm helped LIV with monitoring and tracking the advocacy of families of 9/11 victims who were protesting the tour because of its ties to the Saudi government, according to the correspondence.” [Politico, 10/11/22]
McKenna Was Fired From Air Force Heritage Flights Over Poor Judgment
2022: Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation Terminated McKenna From Program Due To Doubts About His Judgment And Risk Taking. According to Daily Kos, “In 2022, the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation […] terminated him from a flight program it runs because it had ‘significant doubts’ about his ability to ‘best represent the USAF.’” [Daily Kos, 12/19/24]
McKenna Allegedly Violated Air Force Program Rules By Inviting Non-Approved Pilot. According to Daily Kos, “You invited a non-approved pilot to join the arrival formation into Oshkosh with the F35 demonstration team […] This is a plain violation of the LOA that authorizes the program. This placed the program at significant risk.” [Daily Kos, 12/19/24]
McKenna Served In The Bush Administration
Andrew McKenna Previously Worked In The George W. Bush Administration. According to Politico, “McKenna served in the White House Liaison’s office at the Agriculture Department during the George W. Bush administration before jumping into the private sector, according to a biography on his firm’s website.” [Politico, 12/17/24]