Trump administration subpoenas New York Times journalists over new Air Force One reporting

The Trump administration has issued subpoenas to several New York Times journalists after the newspaper reported on security concerns with the president's new plane, according to the outlet.

The Times said its journalists were subpoenaed on Friday by the US justice department to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan five days later, marking the latest effort by the Trump White House to compel testimony from journalists under the threat of penalty. Agents delivered some of the subpoenas to the Times reporters at their homes, the paper added.

A US justice department statement responding to a request for comment about the subpoenas mentioned investigating "breaches of national security".

"To be clear, reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are," the statement said, in part.

Meanwhile, press freedom advocates condemned the subpoenas.

A statement from the Washington DC-based National Press Club said federal prosecutors' "decision to subpoena journalists at the New York Times should alarm every American because it threatens the public's constitutional right to an independent press".

"The National Press Club calls on the justice department to immediately withdraw these subpoenas and reaffirm a principle that has long distinguished the United States: a free and independent press serves the people, not the government," the organization continued.

Times lawyer David McCraw said in his own statement that "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".

Jennifer Griffin, Fox News's chief national security correspondent, echoed McCraw and the National Press Club in a post on X.

"This action by the US government to subpoena reporters for reporting legitimate news on security concerns about Air Force One should alarm every American," Griffin wrote.

The airplane at the center of the Times report was provided by Qatar as a $400m gift.

The Times, citing anonymous sources, reported that the new Air Force One lacked antimissile capabilities as well as other protective features that older models are equipped with.