The Trump administration has subpoenaed four New York Times journalists, seeking their testimony before a federal grand jury investigating possible disclosures of classified information linked to reporting on security concerns involving the new Air Force One.Federal agents delivered some of the subpoenas to reporters’ homes on Friday, an unusually forceful step that prompted accusations of intimidation and abuse of prosecutorial authority. The journalists were ordered to appear before a grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday regarding an alleged violation of federal criminal law.
The reporters named were Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt. Their work examined whether the Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar and converted for presidential use had all the defensive and communications capabilities expected of an Air Force One aircraft.
David McCraw, a lawyer for the Times, said the sight of federal law enforcement officers arriving at reporters’ homes should “shock the conscience” of Americans who value constitutional protections and press freedom. The newspaper said it would challenge the subpoenas and defend the confidentiality of its journalists’ sources.
The Justice Department did not confirm specific grand jury proceedings, which are generally conducted in secrecy. It said reporters were not the targets of its investigation and maintained that the inquiry concerned people suspected of leaking classified material.
That distinction has done little to ease concern among press freedom organisations. They argue that compelling journalists to testify about their reporting risks exposing confidential sources and discouraging officials from disclosing evidence of government wrongdoing, safety failures or policy disputes.
The subpoenas followed articles detailing security questions surrounding the presidential aircraft, which entered service after an accelerated conversion programme. The jet, valued at about $400 million before modification, was transferred by Qatar and adapted by the US government amid persistent delays affecting Boeing’s planned replacements for the ageing presidential fleet.
Before publication of the first article, a senior Federal Bureau of Investigation official contacted a reporter and an editor and asked the newspaper to withhold the story on national security grounds. The official did not provide details of the claimed danger and also sought information about the newspaper’s sources. The Times declined both requests.
Questions about the aircraft intensified after Trump travelled from a NATO summit in Ankara aboard one of the older presidential jets. The new aircraft flew separately to RAF Mildenhall in Britain, where Trump later boarded it for the journey to the United States.
Trump said the change allowed American service personnel at the British base to view the new plane and described his decision to use the older aircraft from Turkey as a gesture made “for old time’s sake”. He rejected suggestions that the switch reflected shortcomings in the newer jet or threats associated with tensions involving Iran.
White House spokesman Steven Cheung said the aircraft was equipped with high-level security protocols that protected the president and his staff. Other accounts indicated that officials had raised questions about whether the hurried conversion included every defensive feature available on the established presidential fleet.
Air Force One is not merely a passenger aircraft. Presidential planes are expected to provide secure communications, protection against electronic and physical threats, aerial refuelling capacity and the ability to function as a mobile command centre during a national emergency.
The legal dispute is expected to focus on whether prosecutors followed safeguards traditionally applied when investigators seek information from members of the news media. Justice Department rules have historically required senior-level approval and consideration of alternatives before subpoenas are issued to journalists.
Those protections were strengthened under former president Joe Biden after disclosures that prosecutors had secretly obtained journalists’ communications records during earlier leak investigations. The Trump administration subsequently revised the policy, allowing wider use of compulsory legal measures when officials believe reporters possess information connected to unauthorised disclosures.
Press advocates say the Air Force One subpoenas represent a significant test of those changes because they demand personal testimony rather than only telephone, email or other records. Reporters appearing before the grand jury could invoke constitutional protections, journalistic privilege or their right against self-incrimination, depending on the questions posed.
Federal law does not provide an absolute privilege allowing journalists to conceal sources in every criminal investigation. Courts instead weigh press freedom against the government’s stated need for evidence, particularly where national security and classified information are involved.
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