US Justice Department Subpoenas New York Times Reporters Over Leak on Trump’s NATO Flight

The US Department of Justice has summoned four New York Times journalists to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan as part of an investigation into a leak revealing that President Donald Trump returned from the NATO summit in Turkey on an older presidential plane. The leak disclosed that US security officials deemed the new plane, gifted by Qatar and valued at around $400 million, insufficiently secure for the president’s flight amid heightened tensions with Iran.

According to CNN, reporters Julian Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt were subpoenaed last Friday, with federal agents delivering some subpoenas directly to their homes. The investigation was launched following the Times’ report that the new aircraft lacked the full range of advanced defense and security systems installed on the dedicated presidential plane. Trump reportedly reacted with anger to the publication and ordered efforts to identify the leak’s source.

FBI Director Christopher Wray met with White House officials on Friday to discuss the probe and later spoke with Trump by phone. The White House and the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office have not commented on the subpoenas. The New York Times’ legal counsel, David McCraw, condemned the subpoenas as an attempt to intimidate journalists and suppress public knowledge. The FBI had requested the Times not to publish the story citing national security concerns but did not specify details.

Trump has denied that security concerns motivated the plane switch, stating the new plane would first be sent to a US Air Force base in the UK for military personnel to inspect. When asked about possible Iran-related security issues, he referred to Iranians as "sick people," suggesting he understood such concerns. The subpoenas do not specify the charges but request testimony regarding an alleged criminal violation.