WASHINGTON — The Trump administration served subpoenas Friday on multiple New York Times journalists following the newspaper’s report this week about security questions surrounding the newly introduced Air Force One, the Times said.
The aircraft, described as a gift to President Donald Trump from Qatar, began operating in official service just last week.
According to the newspaper, the subpoenas demand that the reporters appear Wednesday before a federal grand jury in Manhattan. The Times also said federal agents delivered some of the orders directly to journalists’ homes.
The Times’ account could not be independently verified, and neither the White House nor the Department of Justice immediately responded to requests for comment.
“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,” David McCraw, the newspaper’s attorney, said in a statement Friday.
The subpoenas followed Trump’s use of the new Air Force One for travel to a NATO summit in Turkey. On Wednesday, however, he left aboard one of the older Air Force One aircraft for a visit to Mildenhall, a Royal Air Force base in Suffolk, England. Both planes made the trip to Mildenhall, and Trump later transferred to the newer jet for the return flight to Joint Base Andrews.
The unexpected aircraft change occurred as a fragile cease-fire with Iran had broken down, with the United States carrying out airstrikes on Iran and Tehran targeting three Gulf Arab states. Because Iran shares a border with Turkey, the switch fueled speculation that the Qatar-gifted plane — which had undergone a $400 million retrofit — did not have some advanced security and countermeasure systems.
The Times reported Wednesday that the change was made at the recommendation of the Secret Service. In a follow-up report Thursday, the newspaper said the newer aircraft was missing some of the older jets’ sophisticated protective features, including antimissile defenses. Both stories relied on anonymous sources.
Trump, at the time, denied any security concerns, posting on social media that the stop in Mildenhall was so that service members there could view the new jet. During the flight, Trump denied to the reporters accompanying him that security concerns involving Iran were a factor in flying two planes home. Asked if he was aware of any credible threats against Air Force One by Iran, Trump brushed off the question.
“I have a threat all the time. I’m No. 1 on their list,” he said
The White House later denied any security shortcomings on the new plane.
“The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff,” spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. “As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal – including distraction and misdirection – to address those threats.”
The Times journalists who received subpoenas included Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt, the paper reported.
Earlier this year, the Justice Department issued subpoenas seeking to compel testimony from reporters at The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. In both cases, the DOJ later withdrew the subpoenas.
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Associated Press reporters Michelle L. Price and Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.
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