Multiple New York Times reporters issued subpoenas over Air Force One
reporting
[July 11, 2026]
By ASHRAF KHALIL
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration issued subpoenas on Friday to
several New York Times journalists after its report this week on
security concerns involving the new Air Force One, according to the
paper.
The new jet, which President Donald Trump received as a gift from Qatar,
just entered service last week.
The subpoenas seek to force the reporters to testify before a federal
grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday, the paper said, adding that
federal agents delivered some subpoenas to the reporters at their homes.
The NYT report could not be independently confirmed and there was no
immediate response from the White House or the Department of Justice.
“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,” said the paper's
lawyer David McCraw in a Friday statement.
The developments come after Trump flew the new Air Force One to a NATO
summit in Turkey. But he departed Wednesday on one of the older-model
Air Force One jets for a trip to Mildenhall, a Royal Air Force base in
Suffolk, England. The two jets both flew to Mildenhall. Trump then
switched to the newer plane for the flight home to Joint Base Andrews.
The abrupt plane swap came as a shaky cease-fire with Iran had
collapsed, with the U.S. launching airstrikes on Iran and Tehran
attacking three Gulf Arab states. Iran and Turkey share a border,
sparking speculation that the Qatari-gifted jet — which underwent a $400
million retrofit — lacked certain sophisticated security and
countermeasure systems.
The paper reported Wednesday the switch had come at the urging of the
Secret Service. On Thursday, the paper said the newer plane lacked some
of the advanced security features of the older aircraft, including
antimissile capabilities. Both articles cited anonymous sources.
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Air Force One carrying President Donald Trump arrives for the NATO
summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (Abdullah Güçlü,
Pool Photo via AP)
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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