Trump administration subpoenas New York Times reporters over coverage
Press freedom advocates and members of Congress have condemned the subpoenas as an attempt to ‘threaten and intimidate’. The administration of United States President Donald
Press freedom advocates and members of Congress have condemned the subpoenas as an attempt to ‘threaten and intimidate’. The administration of United States President Donald Trump has issued subpoenas against journalists from The New York Times, in what advocates say is an escalating attack on the free press. Late on Friday, the Times reported that at least four of its reporters have received subpoenas, some delivered to their homes by federal agents. Those subpoenas compel them to testify before a grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday. “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,” said David McCraw, the newspaper’s lawyer, in a statement quoted by the Times. News of the subpoenas prompted outcry from leading news groups including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which demanded their withdrawal. “The subpoenas are an extraordinary escalation in President Trump’s efforts to threaten and intimidate independent news organizations, and have a chilling effect on the work of journalists across the country,” said CPJ’s chief executive officer Jodie Ginsberg. The subpoenas were authorised by a top official in Trump’s Department of Justice: Jay Clayton, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York. Clayton is in line to succeed Bill Pulte as the director of national intelligence, a cabinet-level role Pulte holds on an interim basis. The Senate is set to begin hearings on Clayton’s confirmation next week. Scrutiny on NATO travel coverage At issue is The New York Times coverage of Trump’s return flight from the 2026 NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye, this week. While Trump flew to Europe on his new Air Force One, a jet gifted by Qatar and retrofitted by the US military, he left on the old Air Force One.
Trump claimed the switch was made to allow the new jet to visit RAF Mildenhall, an air force base in Suffolk, England, that supports US military operations. He framed it as an opportunity to allow military members to tour the aircraft. “It’s going to go to a couple of bases,” Trump said at the time, “so the soldiers can see it because it’s truly magnificent.” But at the same July 8 news conference, Trump referenced concerns about his safety. When asked about the airline switch by a reporter from The New York Post, Trump responded, “You know, the life of a president is very dangerous.” He proceeded to add that he’s “number one on the kill list for Iran”. That same day, The New York Times reported swapped his new presidential jet for his old one because of security concerns, citing anonymous sources. The change reportedly came at the urging of the Secret Service. Then, the next day, the Times expanded its coverage with a follow-up report, indicating that the new Air Force One lacked the security capabilities of the old jet. The article anonymously cited two former Air Force officials as saying there would not have been enough time to make the necessary upgrades before the Ankara flight. It is unclear what modifications have already been made, but experts have estimated that the updates could cost up to $1bn. Friday’s subpoenas targeted four of the journalists involved in the Times’s reporting on the subject: Eric Schmitt, Tyler Pager, Eric Lipton and Julian E Barnes. According to the Times, before the subpoenas were issued, the newspaper was contacted by a senior official from the FBI. That person, who was unnamed, asked the newspaper to hold off on its reporting about Air Force One, citing national security.
The BriefWire