New York Times files motion to quash subpoenas served on journalists over Air Force One coverage

Published 16 July 2026 · us

The New York Times on Wednesday filed a motion to quash subpoenas that the Justice Department served on journalists who reported on security concerns involving

The New York Times on Wednesday filed a motion to quash subpoenas that the Justice Department served on journalists who reported on security concerns involving the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, teeing up a significant court fight pitting press freedom against the government’s ability to force reporters to identify sources. “As we set out in our motion, 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. We are going to court to defend our journalists’ rights to report freely on the administration and to provide the public with stories that matter,” David McCraw, the newspaper’s senior vice president and deputy general counsel, said in a statement. The filing was made under seal in the Southern District of New York, where the journalists were summoned in subpoenas delivered last Friday to testify before a federal grand jury. The Times had said it expected five journalists to be subpoenaed; three were ultimately served. The subpoenas, delivered to reporters at their homes, marked a dramatic escalation of the Trump administration’s crackdown on media leaks, which free-press advocates swiftly condemned as a government effort to intimidate news organisations.

It followed an FBI search earlier this year of a Washington Post reporter’s home and the seizure of her electronic devices. The subpoenas centered on reporting the newspaper had done on security concerns involving the new Air Force One. The new jet in question, a present from Qatar that Trump’s administration spent $400 million to retrofit and upgrade, recently entered service. But the Republican president used an older model Air Force One jet to leave a NATO summit in Turkey last week. The Times, citing anonymous sources, reported that the switch had come at the urging of the Secret Service and that the newer plane lacked some of the advanced security features of the older aircraft, including antimissile capabilities. On social media, Trump denied security concerns. The Justice Department has justified the subpoenas by saying that “to be clear, reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.” “We value and appreciate the important role that the press plays in this country,” the department said after the Times reported it had received the subpoenas. “But DOJ also plays an important role to make sure that the people entrusted with our nation’s secrets do what they’re supposed to do with that information, which means not sharing classified information.” Asked about the issue at his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said: “The Department of Justice requires that I authorize it, which I did.