Trump's 'unusual' attack on reporters for Air Force One story floors expert: 'Troubling'
Robert Davis
July 12, 2026
RAW STORY
U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he tours the VC-25B aircraft gifted by Qatar that will be used as Air Force One, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., June 19, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
A media expert was floored on Sunday by reporting on the Trump administration's latest effort to silence reporters after they broke a story about Air Force One last week.
Brian Stelter, a CNN media expert, discussed the Trump Department of Justice's subpoena to a pair of New York Times reporters who broke the story that President Donald Trump landed in the United Kingdom to change from his Qatari-donated Air Force One to the regular Air Force One on his way home from a NATO summit in Turkey. The report indicated that administration officials made the call because of threats against the president's plane.
Stelter told CNN's Omar Jimenez on "CNN Newsroom" that the subpoena is "very troubling" for several reasons.
"That is a highly unusual, very aggressive, and very troubling step forward, or a reassertion of the government's powers here because ultimately, a subpoena to a journalist is an attempt to compel them to testify, to reveal anonymous sources," Stelter said. "And in this particular case, the anonymous sources are officials inside Trump's government who contradicted him, who said that the security concerns were the reason why the plane was not taken back from Turkey."
Stelter also noted that the Times plans to fight the subpoenas. He read a statement from Joseph Kahn, the outlet's executive editor.
"The Trump administration, with its impulsive subpoenas, used vague pretenses of a threat to national security to try to compel our reporters to appear before a grand jury. But the law protects news gatherers from this sort of retaliatory abuse of prosecutorial power. It is essential that the courts reaffirm that protection and quash this overreach, and we are confident that they will do so," the statement reads.
Stelter also noted that judges have struck down the Trump administration's previous attempts to force journalists to reveal their anonymous sources. The key difference between those cases is that "this is all happening within a matter of days of the story being published in the first place," he added.
Robert Davis
July 12, 2026
RAW STORY
U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he tours the VC-25B aircraft gifted by Qatar that will be used as Air Force One, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., June 19, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
A media expert was floored on Sunday by reporting on the Trump administration's latest effort to silence reporters after they broke a story about Air Force One last week.
Brian Stelter, a CNN media expert, discussed the Trump Department of Justice's subpoena to a pair of New York Times reporters who broke the story that President Donald Trump landed in the United Kingdom to change from his Qatari-donated Air Force One to the regular Air Force One on his way home from a NATO summit in Turkey. The report indicated that administration officials made the call because of threats against the president's plane.
Stelter told CNN's Omar Jimenez on "CNN Newsroom" that the subpoena is "very troubling" for several reasons.
"That is a highly unusual, very aggressive, and very troubling step forward, or a reassertion of the government's powers here because ultimately, a subpoena to a journalist is an attempt to compel them to testify, to reveal anonymous sources," Stelter said. "And in this particular case, the anonymous sources are officials inside Trump's government who contradicted him, who said that the security concerns were the reason why the plane was not taken back from Turkey."
Stelter also noted that the Times plans to fight the subpoenas. He read a statement from Joseph Kahn, the outlet's executive editor.
"The Trump administration, with its impulsive subpoenas, used vague pretenses of a threat to national security to try to compel our reporters to appear before a grand jury. But the law protects news gatherers from this sort of retaliatory abuse of prosecutorial power. It is essential that the courts reaffirm that protection and quash this overreach, and we are confident that they will do so," the statement reads.
Stelter also noted that judges have struck down the Trump administration's previous attempts to force journalists to reveal their anonymous sources. The key difference between those cases is that "this is all happening within a matter of days of the story being published in the first place," he added.
.JPG)
The New York Times said on Saturday that the US Department of Justice had ordered several of its journalists to testify before a federal grand jury after they reported on security concerns involving President Donald Trump's new Qatari-donated Air Force One.
Issued on: 11/07/2026
By: FRANCE 24
The Department of Justice has subpoenaed New York Times journalists after they reported on security concerns involving the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, marking a dramatic escalation of President Donald Trump’s campaign against the media that has drawn condemnation for eroding a fundamental freedom of American democracy.
The new jet, a present from the US ally that the administration spent $400 million on to retrofit and upgrade, entered service last week. But Trump used an older model Air Force One jet to leave a NATO summit in Turkey and later referenced threats against him made by Iran.
The subpoenas seek to force the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan next week, the Times said, adding that federal agents delivered some subpoenas to the reporters at their homes.
WATCH MOREGlobal press freedom falls to lowest level in 25 years, RSF warns
They were issued after FBI Director Kash Patel and other Justice Department officials met at the White House on Friday to talk about the matter, according to a person familiar with the discussions who was not authorised to discuss the issue publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The journalists subpoenaed included Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt, the Times reported.
“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, a lawyer for the Times, said in a statement.
Bruce D. Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said Trump's “war on the press is looking for another victim”.
He said in a statement that the subpoenas "break from longstanding Justice Department practice to protect the public interest and press independence by requiring prosecutors to only seek information from reporters as a last resort when all other avenues have been exhausted”.
The department said that "to be clear, reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.”
Its statement said, "we value and appreciate the important role that the press plays in this country, but DOJ also plays an important role to make sure that the people entrusted with our nation’s secrets do what they’re supposed to do with that information, which means not sharing classified information.”
While recognising “there may always be natural tension there”, the department said "we are not going to ignore the law and stop investigating the people who work in the administration and think it’s okay to leak classified information impacting national security.”
Issuing subpoenas represents further ramping up of Trump's effort to threaten independent news organisations by leveraging the power of the federal government against them.
It is also part of a systematic pattern by the Republican president to attempt to undermine press freedom in order to shield him from negative coverage.
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 department later withdrew the subpoenas, though.
'Chilling message to journalists'
In January, FBI agents searched the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, who has been covering Trump’s transformation of the federal government, as part of a leak investigation into a Pentagon contractor accused of taking home classified information.
Adam Steinbaugh, senior attorney for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said Friday's subpoenas and the prospect of “hauling reporters before grand juries sends a chilling message to journalists and whistleblowers alike: Watch what you say, or expect a knock on the door.”
“These tactics are becoming more common,” Steinbaugh said in a statement. “That doesn’t make them normal.”
During his first term, Trump suggested that the press constituted an “enemy” of the American people.
Since returning to the White House, he has waged an aggressive campaign against the media unlike any in modern US history.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
Fox News host blasts Trump for bullying reporters: report
U.S. President Donald Trump reacts as he welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (not pictured) at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 29, 2025. REUTERS Kevin Lamarque
Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin is calling out President Donald Trump’s administration for issuing subpoenas to four New York Times reporters for daring to do the news, according to Mediaite
After the Times embarrassed Trump with an article revealing that security flaws kept Trump from flying his new $400 million luxury plane (gifted from Qatari leaders) his politicized Department of Justice subpoenaed four journalists including reporters Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt on Friday.
The Times blasted the subpoenas as an intimidation move, noting that in some instances the legal documents were administered by federal agents who showed up at the reporters’ homes.
“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,” the Times wrote. “… our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used. This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs.”
But Griffen had her own criticism of the DOJ’s behavior.
“This action by the US government to subpoena reporters for reporting legitimate news on security concerns about Air Force 1 should alarm every American,” Griffen wrote on X.
Other critics joined in under her post, with one demanding: “Why can’t the federal government, regardless who is president, not allow the press to exercise its First Amendment rights?”
Another posted on X that it was “good to see” an honest reaction from a Fox News reporter.
“Welcome to our new police state,” quipped another X user.
“It’s time Republicans grow a pair and stop this nonsense!” howled a fourth. “We have a Constitution to follow, not allow Trump to destroy it!”
Similarly, a statement from the Washington DC-based National Press Club said federal prosecutors’ subpoena of journalists should alarm every American “because it threatens the public’s constitutional right to an independent press.”
The White House remains extremely sensitive about the endangered status of the Qatari gift. White House communications director Steven Cheung also singled out MS NOW reporter Carol Leonnig's social media post about the plane on X last week.
“Carol Leonnig is a liar and this article is complete Fake News. She has no idea what she is talking about,” posted Cheung on X. “She says the White House declined to comment. Not true. We gave comment to The New York Times and many other outlets. Carol is not a real journalist. A complete fraud.”
U.S. President Donald Trump reacts as he welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (not pictured) at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 29, 2025. REUTERS Kevin Lamarque
July 11, 2026
ALTERNET
Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin is calling out President Donald Trump’s administration for issuing subpoenas to four New York Times reporters for daring to do the news, according to Mediaite
After the Times embarrassed Trump with an article revealing that security flaws kept Trump from flying his new $400 million luxury plane (gifted from Qatari leaders) his politicized Department of Justice subpoenaed four journalists including reporters Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt on Friday.
The Times blasted the subpoenas as an intimidation move, noting that in some instances the legal documents were administered by federal agents who showed up at the reporters’ homes.
“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,” the Times wrote. “… our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used. This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs.”
But Griffen had her own criticism of the DOJ’s behavior.
“This action by the US government to subpoena reporters for reporting legitimate news on security concerns about Air Force 1 should alarm every American,” Griffen wrote on X.
Other critics joined in under her post, with one demanding: “Why can’t the federal government, regardless who is president, not allow the press to exercise its First Amendment rights?”
Another posted on X that it was “good to see” an honest reaction from a Fox News reporter.
“Welcome to our new police state,” quipped another X user.
“It’s time Republicans grow a pair and stop this nonsense!” howled a fourth. “We have a Constitution to follow, not allow Trump to destroy it!”
Similarly, a statement from the Washington DC-based National Press Club said federal prosecutors’ subpoena of journalists should alarm every American “because it threatens the public’s constitutional right to an independent press.”
The White House remains extremely sensitive about the endangered status of the Qatari gift. White House communications director Steven Cheung also singled out MS NOW reporter Carol Leonnig's social media post about the plane on X last week.
“Carol Leonnig is a liar and this article is complete Fake News. She has no idea what she is talking about,” posted Cheung on X. “She says the White House declined to comment. Not true. We gave comment to The New York Times and many other outlets. Carol is not a real journalist. A complete fraud.”
No comments:
Post a Comment