Trump Administration Targets Journalists with Subpoenas Over $400 Million Air Force One Jet Swap

The Trump administration unleashed subpoenas on New York Times journalists after the paper reported that the president swapped out a newly refurbished $400 million Air Force One jet, gifted by Qatar, during a trip to Turkey, citing “security precaution.”

Issued on Friday, these subpoenas demand the reporters testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday.

The newspaper condemned this action as an attack on free press, stating it should “shock the conscience.”

This aggressive move follows the publication of a report questioning whether the Boeing 747-8, boasting luxury finishes and expansive room, had been adequately “retrofitted with sufficient security measures” amid a rushed deployment.

Lawmakers expressed concerns regarding whether the modifications included an “advanced missile defense system and other enhancements.”

The report attributed the push for the aircraft swap to the Secret Service.

Subpoenas from US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, cited an “alleged violation of federal criminal law,” according to the Times.

In an unusual twist, Trump flew to the NATO summit in Ankara aboard the new aircraft for its inaugural international trip as Air Force One, only to announce he would return on an older model to showcase the new one to US troops in Europe.

He returned on one of the older modified Boeing 747s, later rejoining the new aircraft at Mildenhall Royal Air Force base in the UK for the final leg home.

The administration did not explicitly deny security concerns but claimed it relied on “distraction and misdirection” to handle threats.

At that same summit, Trump declared he was No. 1 on Iran’s “kill list.”

This incident is part of a broader pattern where the administration has pressured reporters regarding unwanted leaks.

In January, the FBI raided the home of a Washington Post reporter as part of a leak investigation involving a government contractor.

This year, the Justice Department subpoenaed reporters from both the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal in another probe but later withdrew those subpoenas in June after pushback from the news organizations.