Trump administration subpoenas NYT journalists over Air Force One security report

The U.S. Department of Justice, acting under the Trump administration, issued subpoenas to four New York Times reporters—Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt—ordering them to appear before a Manhattan federal grand jury. The subpoenas, delivered in some cases by federal agents at the journalists’ homes, demand testimony “in relation to an alleged violation of federal criminal law.”

The subpoenas stem from the Times’ reporting that the Secret Service had advised President Donald Trump to use the older Air Force One for his return from the NATO summit in Ankara because the newly‑gifted Boeing 747‑8, donated by Qatar, was alleged to lack anti‑missile and other advanced security features. The newspaper cited anonymous sources for the security concerns. Trump denied any problem with the new jet, saying the switch was to allow service members to tour the aircraft and citing personal safety threats.

New York Times attorney David McCraw condemned the action as “an extraordinary escalation” and an attempt to intimidate the press, while the DOJ said the investigation targets leakers of classified information, not the reporters themselves. The subpoenas were signed by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, whom President Trump has nominated for director of national intelligence.