Trump Administration Subpoenas New York Times Journalists Over New Air Force One Security Concerns

The Trump administration issued subpoenas on Friday to several New York Times journalists after the paper reported alleged security concerns involving the new Air Force One, a Qatari-gifted jet that entered service last week.

The Justice Department said in a statement that it was investigating breaches of national security and added, "reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are."

Al Jazeera

The subpoenas seek to force the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday, and CBS News reported that federal agents delivered some subpoenas to reporters at their homes.

The New York Times said the Secret Service urged President Trump to leave the NATO summit in Turkey on an older version of Air Force One instead of the Boeing 747 donated by Qatar, citing security concerns, and NPR reported the gifted plane lacked "defensive countermeasures" including advanced antimissile capabilities.

CBS News also reported that the Secret Service advised Mr. Trump use the old jet, while U.S. officials told CBS News the new plane was hurried into service and lacked some desired capabilities.

The New York Times said the subpoenas were a "brazen act" and a direct threat to the news media’s ability to gather information, while NPR reported that federal agents delivered subpoenas Friday evening to some reporters at their homes.

David McCraw, the Times attorney, condemned the subpoenas as intimidation, saying, "The appearance of Federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects."

AP News

CNN reported that the journalists subpoenaed were Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt, and that the Times said federal agents delivered some subpoenas to reporters’ homes.

CNN also reported that FBI Director Kash Patel met with officials at the White House on Friday to discuss the bureau’s investigation into disclosures about security concerns with the new plane, and that Patel had a conversation on the phone Friday with Trump about the investigation.

In a statement to CNN, a Justice Department spokesperson said, "Every administration has addressed the crime of leaking national security information," and added that reporters are not the targets.

The subpoenas are tied to the Times’ anonymously sourced reporting that the Secret Service urged President Trump to swap planes on his return from the NATO summit in Turkey, and that the Qatari-gifted aircraft lacked security features including advanced antimissile capabilities.

“Trump administration subpoenas New York Times journalists over Air Force One reporting Several New York Times journalists were summoned to testify under oath after they reported alleged security concerns involving President Donald Trump's new Air Force One plane, the US newspaper said”

BBC

AP reported that the Department of Justice subpoenaed the journalists after they reported on security concerns involving the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, and said the subpoenas seek to force testimony before a federal grand jury in Manhattan next week.

Bruce D. Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said the subpoenas represented another escalation, warning, "Trump’s “war on the press is looking for another victim.""

The Justice Department told the BBC that it was investigating illegal leaks and reiterated, "Reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are," while the Times said it would fight the court order.

CBS News reported that the White House later denied any security shortcomings on the new plane, with spokesman Steven Chung saying the new plane "is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols" to ensure the safety of the President and his staff.