JULY 11, 2026
Justice Department subpoenas four New York Times journalists over Air Force One security reporting
The Justice Department issued subpoenas to four New York Times journalists — Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt — requiring them to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan following the Times's reporting on security concerns surrounding a Qatari-gifted jet serving as the new Air Force One. Federal agents delivered some of the subpoenas to reporters at their homes. The subpoenas were issued by Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, who was nominated by President Trump last month to serve as the next director of national intelligence.
The subpoenas stem from a series of Times articles published this week reporting that President Trump departed Turkey on an older Air Force One aircraft — rather than the newly retrofitted Qatari-donated jet — due to concerns raised by the Secret Service. A subsequent Times report stated the newer plane lacked certain advanced security features of the older aircraft, including antimissile capabilities. Both articles relied on anonymous sources.
The Qatari-gifted jet, which entered service last week after a $400 million retrofit, flew alongside the older plane to RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Trump then switched back to the newer plane for the return flight to Joint Base Andrews. The plane swap coincided with a collapsed ceasefire with Iran and subsequent U.S. airstrikes, which sparked speculation — reported by the AP — that the newer aircraft may lack sophisticated countermeasure systems given Iran's proximity to Turkey.
Trump denied that security concerns played any role in the travel arrangements, posting on social media that the Mildenhall stop was to allow service members to view the new plane. When reporters aboard asked whether Iran posed a credible threat to Air Force One, Trump said, "I have a threat all the time. I'm No. 1 on their list." White House spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement that "the new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft" fitted with "high-level security protocols," and described the use of "distraction and misdirection" as part of the administration's security toolkit.