Air Force One 'switch' report lands NYT reporters in Trump's crosshairs, served subpoenas

Several New York Times reporters were served subpoenas on Friday by the Trump administration over the newspaper's reporting on security concerns involving the new Air Force One.According to The New York Times, federal agents delivered some of the subpoenas to the reporters at their homes. The subpoenas seek to compel the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday."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 newspaper's lawyer, David McCraw, said in a statement on Friday.The development comes after Trump flew the new Air Force One to a NATO summit in Turkey. However, he departed on Wednesday aboard one of the older Air Force One jets for a trip to Mildenhall, a Royal Air Force base in Suffolk, England. Both aircraft flew to Mildenhall, where Trump switched to the newer plane for the return flight to Joint Base Andrews.The plane swap fuelled speculation that the Qatari-gifted jet — which underwent a $400 million retrofit — lacked certain sophisticated security and countermeasure systems.The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the switch was made at the urging of the Secret Service. On Thursday, the newspaper reported that the newer aircraft lacked some of the advanced security features of the older plane, including anti-missile capabilities. Both reports cited anonymous sources.Trump denied there were any security concerns, posting on social media that the stop in Mildenhall was intended to allow service members stationed there to view the new aircraft. During the flight, he also denied to reporters travelling with him that security concerns involving Iran were a factor in flying two planes home. Asked whether he was aware of any credible Iranian threats against Air Force One, Trump brushed off the question."I have a threat all the time. I'm No. 1 on their list," he said.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 DOJ later withdrew the subpoenas.Catch the latest world news and top headlines. Download the TOI App.