The Justice Department has issued subpoenas to several New York Times journalists following the newspaper's reporting on security vulnerabilities in the president's newly acquired aircraft, according to the outlet. The subpoenas were delivered Friday, ordering the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan the following Wednesday.
Some agents delivered the subpoenas directly to journalists' homes. The Times identified Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt among those subpoenaed. The move marks another escalation in the administration's effort to compel testimony from members of the press.
A Justice Department spokesperson defended the action on Saturday, stating that investigators must pursue breaches of national security. "Reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are," the statement read. The agency emphasized its responsibility to ensure that officials with access to classified information do not disclose it improperly.
The subpoenas stem from a Times investigation that detailed concerns about the Qatar-gifted aircraft, valued at $400 million. The plane made its maiden presidential voyage on July 1, carrying Trump to North Dakota, and subsequently flew him to a NATO summit in Turkey. The Times reported, citing anonymous sources, that the new Air Force One lacks antimissile capabilities and other protective features found on older presidential aircraft.
According to the Times, Trump flew part of his return journey from Turkey on an older Air Force One model at the request of the Secret Service, despite the new plane's supposed readiness for duty. Before publishing the story, a senior FBI official had contacted the newspaper requesting it withhold the piece on national security grounds, though the official provided no specifics.
The White House contested the reporting. President Trump denied any security concerns factored into the decision to split his return flight between aircraft. White House spokesperson Steven Cheung described the new Air Force One as "state-of-the-art" with "high-level security protocols" and suggested the partial use of the older plane served as "misdirection" against potential threats.
Press freedom organizations swiftly condemned the subpoenas. The National Press Club called the action alarming and said it threatened "the public's constitutional right to an independent press," urging the Justice Department to withdraw the subpoenas immediately.
Seth Stern, director of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation, was blunter. "When the government claims it needs to investigate journalists to protect national security, it really means its own reputational security," Stern said, arguing that administrative embarrassment does not justify targeting the press.
David McCraw, an attorney for the Times, characterized the appearance of federal agents at reporters' homes as an act that "should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the constitution and the press freedom it protects."
This is not the first time the Justice Department has pursued subpoenas against journalists during this administration. In June, prosecutors investigating national security leaks similarly subpoenaed reporters from the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, though both outlets contested the subpoenas in sealed court filings and the Justice Department subsequently withdrew them.
The Trump administration has a documented pattern of targeting news organizations and media figures across both of his presidencies. Earlier this year, the administration pursued criminal charges against journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort and photographer Junn Bollman for their coverage of a protest at a Minnesota church where an ICE official serves as pastor. That same month, a federal grand jury in Maryland indicted a military contractor on charges of leaking classified documents in a case that prompted an FBI raid on a Washington Post reporter's home.
Author James Rodriguez: "The subpoenas expose the administration's determination to plug leaks by going after the press, even as it claims reporters aren't targets. History shows this tactic rarely stands up when challenged in court, but the chill on reporting is the real goal."
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