Trump administration subpoenas NYT journalists over Air Force One reporting

The Trump administration has subpoenaed four New York Times journalists — Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt — over their reporting on security concerns about the new Air Force One, a plane gifted by Qatar. The subpoenas, delivered by federal agents to some reporters' homes, compel them to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday Source: CNN. The Times called the move an escalation in Trump's efforts to intimidate the press Source: DW.

The reporting

The journalists reported that the Secret Service urged President Trump to switch from the new plane to an older model after the NATO summit in Turkey due to security gaps, including missing antimissile defenses Source: AP. Trump denied security concerns, claiming the switch was so troops could tour the new jet Source: Euronews. The White House stated the plane is "state-of-the-art" Source: The Guardian.

Reaction

The subpoenas drew condemnation from press freedom groups. The National Press Club called for their immediate withdrawal, warning they threaten the First Amendment Source: The Guardian. Times lawyer David McCraw said the "brazen act" is an attempt to stop the public from knowing what is happening Source: NPR. The Justice Department said it is investigating illegal leaks of national security information Source: BBC.

Broader context

The subpoenas were issued by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, who has been nominated by Trump to become director of national intelligence Source: Al Jazeera. This follows a pattern of DOJ actions against journalists covering the Trump administration Source: SCMP.