New York Times challenges DOJ subpoenas over Air Force One reporting

The Justice Department issued subpoenas to five New York Times journalists after the paper reported security concerns about the new Qatari‑gifted Air Force One, which the administration spent $400 million to retrofit. The subpoenas, delivered to reporters’ homes, require testimony before a Manhattan federal grand jury about the sources of the stories that said the new jet lacked some defensive systems, such as anti‑missile capability, and that President Trump used an older plane for a NATO summit in Turkey.

The Times filed a sealed motion in the Southern District of New York to quash the subpoenas, with senior vice‑president and deputy general counsel David McCraw stating, “These subpoenas are brought in bad faith to punish The Times for its coverage. They violate the constitutional rights of The Times and its journalists.” The department defended the action, saying “Reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.”

The subpoenas were authorized by U.S. Attorney Jay Jay Clayton and supported by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel. Press‑freedom groups and media leaders have condemned the move as an unprecedented intimidation of independent journalism, raising concerns about First Amendment protections and the precedent for future leak investigations.