Trump administration subpoenas New York Times journalists over Air Force One reporting

Trump administration subpoenas New York Times journalists over Air Force One reportingImage source, Getty ImagesByAna FaguyWashingtonPublished11 July 2026Several 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.Federal agents delivered subpoenas to some reporters' homes demanding they appear before a federal grand jury investigating a potential crime, the Times said.The paper had published stories alleging that the Qatari-gifted plane was not secure enough, and the Secret Service urged Trump to switch planes on his way home from a Nato summit in Turkey.The Justice Department told the BBC it was investigating illegal leaks, adding: "Reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are."David McCraw, the Times's top newsroom lawyer, called the summons a "brazen act" and "nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs".The subpoenas - a legal requirement from a court or government agency that compels a person to appear or produce records or evidence - say the reporters' testimony is required "in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law", the Times reported.The summonses require the reporters to appear before a grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday, the Times said. Grand jurys are composed of members of the public and convened by the US government to examine evidence and decide if there is enough to charge a person or persons with a crime.The New York Times reported on security concerns about the president's plane citing unnamed sources. While speaking to media about classified information is a crime, the US Constitution protects the freedom of the press to report information in the public interest. "We value and appreciate the im...