Justice Department seeks reporters' testimony in Air Force One probe

The Justice Department is seeking to compel testimony from reporters who wrote about the new Air Force One, a move The New York Times described as a “brazen act.” The effort places journalists at the center of a leak investigation that could force a court to decide how far the government can go in prying at sources tied to coverage of a presidential aircraft.

The clash comes as President Donald Trump’s second term has brought repeated public attacks on reporters and fresh pressure to expose confidential sources. On May 15, 2026, Trump accused New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger and other journalists of writing “treasonous” coverage of the Iran war during a press gaggle on Air Force One. That accusation followed a pattern of attacks that press-freedom monitors say have made reporters a recurring target of the administration’s rhetoric.

The Justice Department’s push also follows a June 2026 episode in which, POLITICO reported, federal officials tried to force journalists covering national-security matters to testify before a federal grand jury before reversing course. NBC News reported on June 23, 2026, that the department withdrew subpoenas that had sought reporters’ grand jury testimony. Those moves signaled that the government was willing to use compulsory process against reporters even as it stepped back under pressure.

The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has documented Trump’s broader pressure campaign, including his June 2026 warning that a news outlet should identify its source or “go to jail.” The tracker also says the administration removed The Wall Street Journal from Air Force One coverage in a retaliation dispute. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has defended federal subpoenas to the Journal as part of a leak investigation, underscoring how the administration has paired public pressure with legal demands.

Press-freedom monitors say the new Air Force One fight matters well beyond one aircraft or one administration. Subpoenas and legal orders targeting journalists remain a recurring category in the tracker’s database, and each one can force judges to balance press freedom, reporters’ privilege and the government’s interest in leak investigations. Trump’s legal fights with news organizations, including cases involving The New York Times, CNN, Bob Woodward and ABC News, have added to the strain on independent reporting nationwide.