Trump’s Justice Department Tried to Force New York Times Reporters Before a Grand Jury Over the Qatari Plane Story, Then Withdrew the Subpoenas
by Jerome London · Thought CatalogUpdated 40 minutes ago, July 23, 2026
The reporters had covered why Trump left Turkey on an older Air Force One: the donated Qatari plane lacked antimissile defenses. Prosecutors backed off in court, but told the judge they could come after the journalists again.
A federal prosecutor agreed at a July 23 court hearing to withdraw subpoenas that would have forced New York Times reporters before a grand jury over their reporting on the donated Qatari jet.
The subpoenas came from Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, Trump’s pick to be the next director of national intelligence. He sought the reporters’ grand jury testimony after the Times reported that Trump flew out of Turkey on an old Air Force One because the new, donated plane lacked antimissile and other defensive features. The Times asked a judge to toss the subpoenas, arguing they were issued improperly and infringed on First Amendment press protections.
Federal prosecutor Sean Buckley announced the planned withdrawal after Judge Arun Subramanian spent about an hour questioning government lawyers about the leak investigation. Buckley told the court the investigation is ongoing and the government could subpoena the reporters again.
David McCraw, an attorney for the Times, called it “an important affirmation of our country’s commitment to a free press,” while adding that the subpoenas “should never have been issued in the first place.”
“The Times and our journalists will continue to report and seek the truth without fear or favor,” he said. “We will not be deterred in the face of tactics like these.”
The Justice Department pushed back on the judge. A DOJ spokesperson said Subramanian blocked the department from “presenting the meticulous process of this investigation” and accused him of “blocking the grand jury from receiving core evidence in a national security investigation.” The spokesperson vowed to “pursue justice against those threatening national security by leaking classified information, a serious federal crime.”
The subpoenas drew condemnation from the National Press Club, the International Press Institute and the Committee to Protect Journalists, which accused the administration of trying to intimidate reporters.
“Every American should understand what is at stake when the government turns its investigative powers on journalists,” National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. said in a statement. “It is not routine. It is an extraordinary intrusion that strikes at the heart of the First Amendment and your right to information about your government.”
The move fits a broader pattern. In April 2025, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi revoked a Biden-era policy that gave journalists greater protection against government searches. In January, the FBI searched a Washington Post reporter’s home in an investigation into a contractor accused of illegally keeping classified documents. In May, the administration proposed a government-wide nondisclosure agreement carrying civil and criminal penalties.
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