Justice Department drops subpoenas against New York Times journalists
Experts analyze Trump’s Air Force One pass amid Iranian conspiracy concerns
Laura Ingraham, accompanied by former Secret Service agent Richard Staropoli and retired Brigadier General John Teichert, examines President Donald Trump’s unexpected change aboard Air Force One leaving Türkiye. Experts discuss intelligence reports on Iran’s alleged plot to assassinate Trump and highlight critical differences in security capabilities between Qatar’s capable jet and the older, purpose-built presidential jet.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Justice Department on Thursday withdrew subpoenas it had previously filed against three New York Times journalists as part of its leak investigation.
The Justice Department requested grand jury testimony and phone records from Times reporters Tyler Pager, Julian Barnes, Eric Schmitt, and Eric Lipton; All of these journalists included a report published earlier this month that revealed President Donald Trump flew home from Türkiye on his old Air Force One instead of the new Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, which he flew to the NATO summit due to security concerns, which Trump denied.
Times reportCiting unnamed sources, he hoped to target those who gave sensitive information to Times journalists, prompting a Justice Department leak investigation.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RAISED THE ISSUE OF LEAK RELATED TO AIR FORCE ONE REPORT TO NY TIMES JOURNALISTS TO THE GRAND JURY
The Justice Department has withdrawn subpoenas targeting New York Times journalists as part of its leak investigation. (Yuriy T/iStock)
“Today’s progress was an important confirmation of our country’s commitment to a free press,” New York Times Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel David McCraw said in a statement to Fox News Digital. he said. “We are pleased that the government has finally acknowledged that the subpoenas violated the law, but they should never have been issued. The Times and our journalists will continue to report and seek the truth without fear or favor. We will not be deterred by such tactics.”
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
HEGSETH ANNOUNCES JOINT WORKING FORCE WITH DOJ TO PROSECUTE LEAKS AGAINST JOURNALISTS ‘TO THE FULL FORCE OF THE LAW’
The New York Times reported that President Donald Trump flew from the NATO summit in Türkiye on the old Air Force One instead of the jet gifted by Qatar due to security concerns. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
While leaving the NATO summit in Türkiye, Trump set off with his old Air Force One, which Qatar gifted to the administration and instead of the old Air Force One he had used before. However, the Times claimed that the change was made due to increasing military tensions between the USA and Iran.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN IS ‘NO’ TARGET 1 AS RENEWED CONFLICT INCREASES ASSASSINATION FEARS
Trump denied any safety concerns about the jet, instead reporting on Truth Social that the Mildenhall stop was made so soldiers stationed at the base could see the new plane.
The subpoenas targeting Times journalists have sparked an outcry among critics who accuse the Trump administration of violating First Amendment rights.
President Donald Trump greets members of the security forces at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, to board Air Force One, gifted by Qatar, following his participation in the NATO leaders’ summit held in Türkiye on July 8, 2026. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
The Justice Department has previously defended the subpoenas by highlighting the crime of leaking national security information and emphasized that Times journalists were not targets of the investigation.
“We value and appreciate the important role the press plays in this country, but the Department of Justice also plays an important role in ensuring that those entrusted with our nation’s secrets do what they are supposed to do with that information, which means not sharing classified information,” a DOJ spokesperson said at the time. “We recognize that there may always be inherent tension there, but we will not ignore the law and we will not stop investigating people who work in the administration and we will not consider it normal to leak classified information that affects national security.”
Fox News’ Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
